


Hidden Dragons

by Onasariel



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Dragons, Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic, Arthur is cool with magic unless you're evil, Baby dragons - Freeform, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluffyfest at times, I wrote most of this instead of sleeping, Lots of dragons - Freeform, M/M, Minor Character Death, Protective Arthur, Protective Merlin, Slow Build, but serious plot, zero regrets
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2018-11-23 16:32:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 40,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11406246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onasariel/pseuds/Onasariel
Summary: When the purge began, the dragons and the dragonlord clans ran to the mountains, warding the surrounding forest to keep them hidden. Merlin is born, destined to be the great Emrys. Everyone is unaware of who the Once and Future King is until he shows up on their doorstep twenty one years after the purge. Now Merlin must travel to Camelot with Arthur Pendragon, the son of the man who started it all to fulfill their destiny.WILL NOT BE UPDATED ANYMORE. I plan to redo this and use the concept for the After Camlann Big Bang 2018





	1. Emrys and the Once and Future King

**Author's Note:**

> So I have too many dumb ideas and I feel I have to write those dumb ideas out and post them, so here is this AU I came up with! Despite a certain other story I have an obsession with Merlin and his parents being a happy family and adorable, so I gave him MORE family. Though it's really just Grandparents and Freya as his sister. Still, joy and happiness and fellow dragonlords and dragons! I also had a lot of fun making up a few dragonlord traditions and stuff. There's only a bit of it in this chapter but I'm hoping to go far more into the workings of this society. This is also the longest chapter I've ever written for anything so yay for that!

Prince Arthur Pendragon had been raised to hate sorcery his whole life. His father had taught him that magic had taken his mother's life, it was an evil that had to be destroyed. Twenty-one years ago he had started what was known as the Great Purge, where he declared the use of magic illegal. Anyone found using it would be drowned, burnt at the pyre, or beheaded. It had been a blood bath. Sorcerer's of all ages were rounded up and killed.

Yet two groups got away for good.

\---

The dragons were creatures of magic. Their species was nearly as old as time itself. When the purge began, the mighty beasts fled to the mountains. They enchanted the forest around the mountains. Anyone who was not welcome would get lost and eventually die.

The dragons went with the dragonlords and their families. They were warlocks, men the old religion had blessed and given them power over the dragons. Only they could understand the ancient dragon tongue and speak to the beasts. The dragons would only bow and listen to them. The power would be passed down from father to son after the former's passing.

They didn't abuse this power. The dragons and the dragonlords respected one another. They were kin, therefore it was only natural that the dragons escaped with their dragonlord's and their families.

Uther was enraged at the fact that he couldn't bring down such noble and powerful races. He would send scores of his knights into the forests surrounding the mountains, trying to find a way into their sanctuary. None of them ever returned. He had even sent witch finder's into the forest, promising a huge reward if they brought back a dragon or a dragonlord. None of them had ever returned either. The groups remained hidden.

The dragons and dragonlords lived in harmony. The mountains provided the groups many caves. There they found peace and formed a society of sorts. The many families worked together. Some would farm on the fertile land they found. Rivers ran through the valleys for water. Others would go into the forest and hunt game to bring back to the community. Those who were more talented with sewing would make clothes from the skins. They shared what they had. It was if their paradise was blessed by the gods themselves.

The dragons and their lords mostly evaded Uther for twenty-one years, but that didn't mean they were always in hiding. Sometimes the sorcerer's would leave home to see the state of the outside world and bring news back to their colony. Most of them chose to stick to the lands where magic wasn't outlawed. It was far safer that way. They kept their magic a secret so they wouldn't' draw attention to themselves and journeyed as any other traveller would.

\---

This was how a young future dragonlord named Balinor Ambrosius found Ealdor. The purge had recently started and he had been sent out for supplies. He had been passing through the village when he bumped into a young woman named Hunith.

He was drawn to her. He found he never went far from Ealdor before he returned to the village and Hunith's waiting arms. He knew the people of the village talked behind her back. She was a single unwed woman who opened her home to this strange man. She just shrugged it off, not caring about what people thought.

The best thing about her was that she knew what he was. In later years telling outsides their secret would be forbidden but at the time there was nothing wrong with it if you deemed it safe. The dragonlord's hadn't suffered the losses they would later on. Hunith loved to listen to Balinor's stories of the dragons and their lords as he made images in the fire to illustrate.

It was on his last stop in Ealdor he proposed to her. He told her he was returning to the mountains to stay and wanted her to join him. She had some hesitations, but had chosen to go with him.

He happily returned with his future bride. The forest welcomed the young woman, allowing her passage alongside her dragonlord. His mother and father; Rowena and Aldred; welcomed her into their home. Hunith quickly got used to living in the caves and the two were wed a month later.

It would be another month when she came to Balinor with good news. She was pregnant. They immediately went and shared this with the rest of his family.

It wasn't long before the rest of the community found out. News travelled fast with the dragonlords and a birth was always celebrated, especially if it was a firstborn. The firstborn was always hoped to be a son, a guarantee that there would be someone to carry on the dragonlord power.

“What if we have a daughter, Balinior?” Hunith asked him one day.

Women were also treasured and treated well among the dragonlord's and their families, but the pressure on the couple to have a son was taking it's toll on her. Aldred was still alive and healthy, Balinor would not be inheriting his father's power for hopefully some time. They both wanted more children so there was plenty of time for them to have a son.

“Then we will have a little princess to spoil.” Balinor replied, looking up from the wood carving he was doing with a grin. Hunith smiled slightly at this, but her smile quickly fell.

“She wouldn't inherit your powers, though.” She said. Balinor nodded.

“She wouldn't be a dragonlord. That is something the gods and goddess' have decided is for the sons, but I wouldn't be surprised if she was a powerful witch. Any child of mine will most likely have magic, no matter if it's a boy or a girl.” He explained.

Hunith nodded. She wasn't sure if she was completely ready for a magical child but she was surrounded by magic users. She would have people who could help her. Balinor came over and sat beside her, rubbing her back.

“I won't lie, there are some families here that focus on having a male heir. But my family isn't like that. Mother and Father will love their grandchild no matter if it's a boy or a girl. We want to start a family, don't we? We'll have more children eventually...and if they're all girls, then I guess the old religion has decided there is no need for the Ambrosius family being in power any longer. It won't matter, we'll still be happy.” He insisted.

Hunith gave him a small smile, leaning against him. It would work out as long as she had her family's support.

\---

It was soon time for the baby to arrive. There was an older woman who had been trained as a midwife, and was training some younger women. They assisted with the birth, taking Hunith to a place in the caves specifically for medical treatment.

Rowena was allowed to be by Hunith's side while Balinor waited nearby with Aldred. Balinor was wringing his hands, worried for his wife. Aldred pat his son on the shoulder with a small reassuring smile.

“Don't worry, Son. Elizabeth will take good care of her.” He said.

“Were you this calm when I was born, father?” Balinor asked with a soft chuckle. That caused Aldred to laugh.

“Goodness no. I was pacing the halls I was so worried! I understand how you feel. I'm giving you the same advice that my father gave me, if you're willing to listen to an old man. Take deep breaths. Trust in the gods. You are not alone. I found that it helped ease the worry.” He said.

“Thank you, father.” Balinor said with a small smile. He would have faith. Hunith was a strong woman. She would be just fine, especially with his mother there to support her.

\---

The baby was finally born at dawn on a cold winters day. Balinor rushed over to his wife the moment he was allowed. She was holding a wrapped bundle, propped up by pillows and blankets.

“You have a son, Balinor.” She said when he came near.

Balinor looked down at the child. He was fast asleep. He looked so peaceful.

“He's perfect.” He smiled, going to sit beside Hunith, kissing her on the forehead and putting an arm around her.

They were quiet for a few minutes before Hunith spoke again.

“Merlin.” She said. Balinor blinked.

“Merlin?” He asked.

“Yes. I think he should be called Merlin.” She replied. Balinor thought on this. It was an interesting name.

“I agree. Merlin is a good name.” He said with a nod. Merlin started to wake, opening his beautiful blue eyes and staring up at his parents.

“Hello, Merlin. Welcome to the world.” Balinor said.

\---

They took Merlin to see the great dragon a week later, once Hunith was feeling up to it. It was their custom to present the newborn children to the great dragon. She was a bit nervous, she had seen and spoken to the dragons that lived in the mountains but none of them were as old as the great dragon. He was revered for his wisdom and power for foresight, despite how elusive he could be at times.

Balinor assured her that all would be fine. They were even bringing his parents along and Aldred's presence did help somewhat. She knew none of the dragons would dare attack a dragonlord or their family but she still felt this dragon was different than the others she had interacted with.

The family moved through the tunnels, soon stopping at a large cavern. The cavern had an opening at the top, sun shining through. The dragon could come and leave easily.

Aldred stepped forward, calling for the dragon. Hunith had heard the dragon tongue before, but this was something different. Aldred roared, shouting his words in a deep gravelly voice. She watched in awe as the sunlight disappeared and a huge bronze dragon entered the cave, landing in front of them. Aldred smiled, stepping forward to greet him.

“Kilgharrah. Thank you for coming.” He said.

Kilgharrah bowed his head with a hint of a smile.

“You have called me to introduce me to Emrys. It is my honour, dragonlord.” He said.

The family went silent. Balinor, Aldred, and Rowena stared up at the dragon in shock. Hunith looked between them, eyes filled with worry.

“Emrys? What does he mean? The boy's name is Merlin...Balinor, is everything all right?” She said. Balinor snapped out of his shock induced trance and looked over to her. Before he could answer his wife Kilgharrah spoke up.

“Do not fear, Lady Hunith. Your child has a great destiny before him. Emrys has been spoken about for generations. He is foretold to assist the Once and Future king and bring magic back to the land. I can feel his power even though he is so small. This child is indeed Emrys.” Kilgharrah explained.

Hunith stared up at the dragon with wide eyes. It sounded like her son was supposed to be a saviour for magic kind. She felt Balinor put his arms around her but she didn't respond.

“He...can't be. He's just a baby.” she finally said.

“He will grow up one day. For now it is up to you and Balinor to raise him. May I see the child?” He asked. Hunith had been holding him close to her body, his face away from the dragon.

She hesitated slightly but with a nod of reassurance from Balinor she moved from his arms and closer to Kilgharrah. She held Merlin so Kilgharrah could see him. Merlin was awake and his blue eyes met Kilgharrah's gold ones.

“So small for such a great destiny. I am honoured to meet you, Emrys.” Kilgharrah said.

“His name is Merlin. It is the name we gave him. I don't want him to feel burdened by anything. He's still too young. I want him to grow up like a normal child. He can learn about his apparent destiny when he's older, and I don't want you telling him about it.” Hunith spoke up, frowning as she moved her baby away from the dragon.

Balinor, Aldred and Rowena were shocked that she had told the great dragon off and Aldred was ready to command him to back off if he tried to retaliate, but looking to the noble beast reassured them that he wasn't offended. In fact, Kilgharrah looked impressed.

“Very few ever dare speak to me as you do. Very few are brave enough. The old religion has chosen you as Emrys -no- Merlin's mother for a reason, Lady Hunith. You have a strong will and are very brave. I have no doubts that he will be raised well.” Kilgharrah said. “I will not tell the boy of his destiny until you give me permission, just as you wish.”

“Thank you.” Hunith said, now feeling slightly embarrassed as she noticed her family staring at her in shock. “You...you can visit with him if you want. He will be a dragonlord one day, I want him to know all the dragons here. I want him to be used to them.”

Kilgharrah gave her a nod.

“Very well then, Lady Hunith.” He said. He looked to Balinor. “You have chosen a good mate, Balinor. She may not carry the dragonlord's blood in her veins but I feel she belongs with your kind. Farewell.” With that, he stretched out his wings and flew off.

There was some silence as the family watched him go before Aldred looked to Hunith.

“I'm so sorry! I wasn't thinking, I don't know what came over me!” Hunith said quickly. Balinor rushed to her side, Aldred giving her a smile.

“As Kilgharrah said, not many would do what you did. It was very impressive.” He said.

“Come, dear. We will return to our home. There is much to discuss.” Rowena said, putting a gentle hand on her back.

Hunith nodded as her family led her through the tunnels. Merlin was Emrys and she still didn't really know what this meant for her little boy. She wanted to know. They soon turned into a larger cavern, Balinor helping Hunith to a chair.

“I still don't really know what this all means.” she admitted, looking down at Merlin. He had fallen asleep during their walk. He looked so peaceful.

“There is a Druid prophecy that speaks of Emrys. It has been passed down for generations.” Balinor said, moving a chair so he could sit beside her. “He is said to be the most powerful warlock the world has ever known. He is magic itself. He is destined to bring in a golden age of Albion where the kingdoms are united and everyone is free to practice magic. He is said to do this with the help of the Once and Future King, though I don't know who that is.”

Hunith let his words sink in as she cradled their child. One day the sleeping bundle in her arms would save everyone. He would be the most powerful warlock to ever live. She momentarily feared for his life but then she remembered all the wards that had been put up around the mountains and the surrounding forest. No one would find them here. He was safe, surrounded by magic users and dragons who would no doubt protect him.

“He will probably start using magic early on in life.” Rowena spoke up, answering Hunith's next question before she could even ask it.

“How am I supposed to raise the most powerful warlock to ever live? Everyone here has magic but I have none.” Hunith said. Balinor put an arm around her.

“You don't need magic to be a good mother. You can still guide him with your wisdom and kindness. You don't need magic to give him the love and support he will need. You are a strong woman, Hunith. Remember, you just spoke back to the great dragon himself. Merlin needs someone like you in his life. I will teach him magic.” he said with a smile.

Hunith calmed slightly. She was surprised at how calm she was about the whole situation. It was likely that it hadn't fully sunk in yet. She would just have to remember that she had a family here that supported her and believed in her. That was the most important thing.

Perhaps she could get through this.

\---

When Merlin was four months old he started to use magic. It was simple things at first, if he wanted a toy or blanket he would bring it over using his magic. There were times where they were worried for the child, he would occasionally act out and break things or start fires.

Despite the stress that these outbursts could bring Hunith loved her son dearly and wouldn't trade him for the world. Balinor and his parents could deal with the magical outbursts with ease and as time went by she got used to such things.

Merlin grew. Hunith would smile and watch as he played with the other children and younger dragons. He would visit with Kilgharrah and the old dragon would sit and speak with the boy. He had kept his word and hadn't told Merlin of his destiny...that would come one day.

Merlin was a kind and quiet child. He did loved to play but his favourite time of the day was his lessons with his father and grandparents. His father and grandfather taught him the history, magic, and ways of the dragonlords while his grandmother taught him to read and write.

For his tenth birthday, Balinor presented Merlin with a book. It was a book of spells that Aldred had given Balinor for his tenth birthday. Merlin loved it and studied from it every chance he got.

There were other books as well, books filled with stories and history. Merlin and Hunith spent many spring and summer afternoons under a tree, Merlin reading them to her. She could read and write herself, -she had been taught by her older brother- but she loved those afternoons listening to her boy read.

It was paradise.

Sadly there was trouble even in paradise. That winter Aldred fell ill and never truly recovered. They could have used dragon magic to cure him but he refused, saying that if it was his time then he would respect that. It would be a month after Merlin turned eleven that his family was kneeling by his bedroll. He was going to pass on soon. Merlin stood by his mother, tears in his eyes while Balinor and Rowena were right at Aldred's side.

“Merlin.” Aldred said weakly. He had spoken to his son, wife, and daughter in law. Now he wanted to speak to his grandson. Hunith gently pushed Merlin forward as Balinor and Rowena parted so he could join them. His grandfather gave him a weak smile.

“My boy...” he started, but was interrupted by a coughing fit.

“Grandfather!” Merlin cried as Rowena rushed forward to help her husband. When Aldred calmed Merlin started to sob.

“Why won't you let the dragons heal you? They can do it!” He said. He didn't want to lose his grandfather so soon. Aldred smiled up at him.

“Ah, Merlin. We all have our destiny, and I am destined to die this day and your father will become the new dragonlord. I do not fear it. One should never fear their destiny, no matter how intimidating it seems. You must be brave when you find yours. This is not truly the end. You will remember me and the good memories we shared. Keep those close to your heart and never lose sight of who you are. You have your father's strength and gifts, as well as your mother's love and kindness. Never change.” Aldred trailed off. He relaxed, exhausted.

He passed on that night with his family by his side.

\---

Dragonlord funerals were an event unlike any other. Aldred's body had been cleaned and dressed in his finest clothes. He was laid on a funeral pyre. This is where the similarities to normal funerals ended. The pyre would be lit by dragons fire from a dragon called upon by the deceased dragonlord's son. It was a test to see if the dragonlord powers had passed down from father to son. Despite how rare it was that the power didn't pass down, it was always somewhat tense.

The dragonlord's and their families were standing nearby as Balinor stepped into the circle, dressed in ceremonial robes. Hunith and Merlin stood with Rowena in front of the crowd, dressed in simpler mourning clothes. Merlin could feel his mother's grip on his shoulder tensing as Balinor looked to the sky. He took a deep breath and called out in a deep gravelly tone, speaking the language of the dragons.

Everyone sighed in relief as the dragons started to arrive. They knew there was a funeral of course, they were just waiting for the dragonlord to call them. Balinor stepped back from the pyre, ordering them to light it. He moved and stood with his family as his father's body burned, the dragon's landing around them and hovering in the sky to pay their last respects to their kin.

\---

Rowena moved into the cave that Balinor, Hunith, and Merlin shared after that. She was more than welcome. She was glad to help Hunith around their home, especially when Hunith gave the news a week later that she was pregnant once more. It had been unexpected and they were sad that Aldred would not get to meet his second grandchild, but it was good news none the less.

Nine months later the Ambrosius family welcomed a little girl named Freya into their ranks. Hunith had worried that she would be jealous of her brother's power and destiny, but Kilgharrah assured her that the girl had a destiny of her own. It wasn't as grand as Merlin's but when he helped bring the old religion back, the dragon foretold that she would become a priestess and study under the new high priestess. She would be a powerful sorceress in her own right.

Merlin was a wonderful older brother. He doted on his sister and would read her his books on their family's history. As she grew older he was try to teach her spells, though she was still too little to understand. Hunith would laugh when Merlin frowned as his sister's attention moved to other things.

“You are doing well, my little falcon. She will learn in time.” she said.

\---

When Merlin was fifteen they chose to tell him of his destiny. Balinor and Hunith left the four year old Freya with Rowena, taking Merlin though the tunnels that led to the great dragon. Merlin knew these tunnels well. He would often visit the dragon, even though he complained about the 'cryptic overgrown lizard' at times.

Merlin watched as Balinor called the dragon. Kilgharrah landed in front of them, looking over the family.

“It is time, Kilgharrah. We wish to tell Merlin of his destiny.” Balinor said.

Kilgharrah looked pleased at this news. They had all told Merlin stories of Emrys growing up. The dragon looked forward to the day they would reveal he was that Emrys. Merlin frowned as Hunith put a hand on her son's shoulder.

“My destiny? What do you mean, father?” he asked. Balinor came to his side, putting his hand on his son's other shoulder.

“You have a great destiny before you, my son. We have known about it since you were a were a week old, but we kept it from you because we wanted you to live a normal life without being burdened by it. Yet we feel the day has come for you to learn of it.” he explained. Merlin looked between the serious faces of his mother and father before Kilgharrah spoke.

“Young Warlock, you have a very great destiny, just as your father says. We have told you the prophecy of Emrys, the greatest sorcerer to ever live. We have told you that one day he will bring magic back to a united Albion alongside the Once and Future King. I could tell from the moment I met you that you are Emrys.” Kilgharrah explained.

Merlin stared up at the great dragon, waiting for his friend to start laughing as if this was some elaborate joke. When no such thing came, he finally said something.

“You're kidding. You have to be.” He said.

“I am not. Magic kind has been awaiting your arrival for a long time. You will free us once more.” Kilgharrah said with a frown.

Merlin didn't know how to feel. There was a part of him that bitterly wondered if the only reason his father and grandfather had bothered to teach him so much was for the sake of this destiny. Yet he knew in his heart that wasn't true. Destiny or not his family loved him and wanted him to learn of his heritage and be the best he could be. His father and grandmother taught Freya the same things. He found himself angry that they hadn't told him sooner.

“Well, what am I supposed to do? I can't leave the mountains, they'll kill me like the others the moment they find out who I am. How am I supposed to bring back magic to the land from here? Are you sure you're not just making this all up? I don't believe you. It sounds too far fetched.” Merlin challenged. Instead of getting angry, Kilgharrah threw his head back and laughed.

“He has your spark, Lady Hunith.” He said. Merlin raised an eyebrow.

“Your mother once challenged me like you just have many years ago. Just as I told her then, very few have dared to speak to me like that. Very few are brave enough. I had thought no one would challenge me ever again. You two have proven me very wrong.” Kilgharrah explained. Hunith looked slightly embarrassed at this revelation but Balinor looked amused at the memory. Neither had told Merlin of the time she told off the great dragon.

“Heed my words, young warlock. You are the Emrys of legend. You must accept this. I do not know how your destiny will come to pass, but I know it is true.” Kilgharrah said, now serious.

“I know it is an important destiny and intimidating...” Balinor began. It was with that that his grandfather's dying words ran through his head.

_One should never fear their destiny, no matter how intimidating it seems. You must be brave when you find yours._

His grandfather knew. He knew that his grandson was the fabled Emrys and that he would learn of this one day. He knew his grandfather wanted him to be brave but that was very hard to do right now. He was just told he was supposed to save magic kind.

“I need to be alone.” He said, storming off. He needed to sit and think about this.

His parents did leave him alone for the afternoon. They cautioned Freya against speaking to him, telling her that he wanted to be alone and needed to think but that didn't stop the little girl. She could tell her big brother was upset and that bothered her. She crawled onto his lap and rested against his chest, looking up at him. When he ignored her, she reached up and poked his cheek.

“Freya, stop. I want to be alone.” he said, frowning. He felt a bit guilty when he realized he was a bit harsher than he meant to be.

“You look sad. Don't be sad.” She said, unfazed.

Merlin sighed and looked down at her. She didn't have such a big destiny. She wouldn't understand. She wasn't one of the ones who kept this secret from him in the first place anyways. He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tight.

“That's better.” She giggled, and Merlin found the corners of his mouth twitching up slightly.

He did end up joining his family for dinner as they ate in silence. He waited until Freya was asleep to start up a conversation.

“If I'm Emrys, then I'll have to leave one day. I thought that we are forbidden from leaving because we were getting found out and killed. How am I supposed to meet the Once and Future King from here?” he asked.

His parents and grandmother looked to each other. That was a good question.

“I do not know. Kilgharrah never spoke of it either. I think we must wait and let destiny guide you.” Rowena said.

That wasn't exactly the answer that Merlin was looking for, but he would take it. The dragon did say he didn't know how this destiny would come to pass.

They would just have to wait and see.

\---

Word spread quickly once it was made known that Merlin was the fabled Emrys. He wasn't used to all the attention he was getting. The other dragonlord families had always been polite to him and they had gotten along, he even had a few friends, but now everyone was worshipping him like he was some kind of god. He hated it. Even the dragons were praising him.

It finally settled down after Rowena and Hunith argued that Merlin may be Emrys but he should be treated the same as he had always been treated. Merlin was grateful for their intervention. It was hard enough that he was still coming to terms with this great destiny, he didn't need all this attention.

\---

He found he spent a lot of time with Kilgharrah. The old dragon was often cryptic but he was wise. They would speak of his destiny, and of magic. Kilgharrah always said he didn't know how it would all happen.

Three years later he finally did.

“Your destiny is starting to unfold, young warlock. I can sense the old religion at work. It will happen soon. You will meet your Once and Future King.” Kilgharrah said suddenly.

“How?” Merlin asked.

They were all still forbidden from leaving their safe haven. Rarely one dared to defy that and leave and it was considered a miracle if he or she returned safely. They all spoke of the laws against magic being in effect, and that other lands were starting to ally themselves with Uther and banning magic themselves. There were bounty hunters who would capture magic users and bring them to Camelot for rewards. The world was a very dangerous place for their kind and it only seemed to be getting worse.

“He will come to you.” Kilgharrah said, flying off.

Merlin huffed. He hated when the cryptic lizard ended conversations by leaving. If he was a dragonlord he would call him back and demand for him to reveal everything he knew. Yet he knew he wouldn't be a dragonlord for some time. He didn't want to be a dragonlord for some time. He wanted his father to remain as healthy as he was and grow old like his grandfather did before Merlin inherited the power.

He got up and wandered out of the caves. It was a beautiful day. He might as well enjoy it. He made a quick trip to his family's cave to let them know he was going for a walk. His mother made him take some food and water. He smiled and chuckled as he took it. He would go for walks in the forest all the time but she always insisted that he take something.

In the end he was carrying food and water for two as Freya insisted on coming. He wanted to be alone and clear his head but when the girl had an idea, it was hard to stop it. He held her hand as they walked through the forest, listening to the child chat about everything. At one point she had grown tired of walking, and he ended up carrying her on his back. He decided to head home. They had wandered a fair distance and he was starting to get tired as well.

They were almost home when he heard the sounds of someone else moving among the trees. He froze. No one else should be in the forest, it was enchanted against such things. If anyone other than a dragonlord or their kin entered the forest they would get lost and die. It had happened often at the start of the purge, before Uther started to give up. How had someone ended up this far in? He slowly put Freya down.

“Hide.” He said softly. The little girl hesitated before going to hide among some bushes.

Merlin moved towards the sound, poised to attack. Instead of an armed enemy, he found a man who looked to be a few years older than him. He was wearing armour and had a cape bearing the crest of Camelot, but he had no sword. He was also bleeding from a large gash in his side.

The man's blue eyes met his own. He looked confused then frightened, but before he could do anything those blue eyes rolled back and he fell to the ground. Merlin stopped and stared, debating on what to do. On one hand, this man was an outsider and a knight from Camelot. On the other he was very clearly wounded. Merlin made his decision, running back to fetch his sister before running home.

The others weren't so keen on helping a knight of Camelot. In fact, they were horrified and confused that he was basically at their front door. Merlin understood, but at the same time he was frustrated as the man had been bleeding when he last saw him. He could be dead, and they could have been helping him instead of arguing.

There was panic before Kilgharrah finally decided to make an appearance. He landed gracefully in the valley, despite his size. He looked pleased with this new development.

“So, the Once and Future King has arrived.” He said. Everyone went silent as they looked up at the great dragon.

“That is the Once and Future King?” Balinor asked, stepping forward.

“It is. It is no mistake he was able to make it this far into the forest. He was destined to come here. Arthur Pendragon will right his father's wrongs and bring magic back to Albion, but he can only do this with Emrys' guidance.” Kilgharrah's booming voice echoed.

Everyone gasped. Even Merlin was shocked. Not only had a knight of Camelot showed up in their forest, but the knight was also the prince of Camelot. How would he react when he woke up in the mountains alongside the dragonlords? He had probably come here on a quest to hunt them down in the first place.

In the end it was Balinor and Merlin who were sent out to retrieve the prince. The dragons would remain close buy and they would kill him if he attempted to harm anyone. Arthur was right where Merlin had left him. The bleeding had slowed, but the pale prince had clearly lost a lot of blood. Balinor picked him up and carried him back to the caves, people stopping to stare at the prince when he arrived. Kilgharrah was waiting for them, holding onto the mountainside outside of the Ambrosius family's cave.

“Bring him here, Balinor. Lay him on the ground and I will heal him. He will need his strength.” Kilgharrah said.

Despite the fact that dragonlords were known for their ability to order the dragons around, they had a respect for the creatures and would listen to what they had to say, especially a dragon as ancient as Kilgharrah. Balinor did as he was asked, stepping back. Kilgharrah lowered his head to the prince's level before breathing on him. There was a faint glow around the prince that faded when Kilgharrah stopped.

“He will wake in a few hours. Try to be kind to him.” The great dragon said before he flew off.

“I hate when he does that.” Merlin grumbled. Balinor nodded, going to pick up the sleeping prince.

“He can be frustrating at times.” He admitted, heading into the cave.

Freya was all over them the moment they went in. She wanted to see the strange man that Merlin had found in the forest. Hunith hurried over, going to lead the child away. Balinor chuckled at her enthusiasm. He was still nervous and angry about having the prince so close to his family, but if this was the Once and Future King, then it needed to happen. He needed to show Arthur that magic wasn't as evil as Uther claimed it was. It didn't mean he would let the prince off easy, however. If he showed any sign of being against his family he would fight back.

Balinor suspected he would be experiencing a lot of emotions in the coming days, with the prince so close.

He put Arthur on Merlin's cot. Merlin pulled up a chair, going to wait for the prince to wake up.

\---

Arthur woke up a few hours later. The last thing he remembered was seeing a young man in the forest. Before that him and his knights had been attacked by a large creature that was a strange mix between a bird and a lion. His knights had been killed, slashed by the creatures sharp talons and he had escaped but he was wounded. His hand moved to his side, shocked to find there was no trace of it, other than the broken chain mail and ripped tunic.

“Good evening, your highness.”

Arthur jumped at the voice, reaching for his sword but finding it wasn't there. He looked to the source to find the young man he had seen in the forest, working on a wood carving. He looked around, eyes wide. He seemed to be in a cave. It was lit up by candles and balls of blue light. The cave was set up like a regular house would most likely be. There was an area that was a makeshift kitchen with a table for eating setup nearby. A woman was making something over a small fire. He seemed to be in the sleeping area. There was one large sleeping mat on one side, with another nearby. The other two were actual cots. He was currently on one of them while someone -a child by the looks of it- was asleep in the other. In another area there were shelves filled with books and half finished woodcarvings. He did notice finished carvings decorating the area, along with flowers.

His eyes stopped on the boy from the forest. He had blue eyes, dark hair, and pale skin. Arthur noted that he had massive ears that stuck out and very noticeable cheekbones as well. He was rather thin, but it seemed to be his natural frame instead of starvation. The prince had to admit he wasn't unattractive.

It was then he remembered the quest he had been on. They had been attempting to find the dragons and the dragonlords. Many before him had died trying but the prince was convinced he could find them. Had he succeeded? He looked to the balls of light around the room. That was definitely magic. He moved back in the bed, eyes wide once more.

“Sorcerer!” He shouted.

“Shhh, my sister is sleeping!” The young man hissed, glaring at him. He looked to the sleeping child. She stirred slightly but didn't seem to wake up. Merlin sighed, blowing on the wood carving and turning back to Arthur and continuing his work.

“Yes, I have magic. We all do, save for my mother. The dragonlords and their families are a race full of warlocks and witches. We're born with the magic we posses. But before you start screaming about how I'm evil and want to kill you, I'll have you know that I helped save your life. If I wanted you dead I would have just left you to die. You weren't even supposed to get this far. The enchantments are supposed to keep people out. What are you going to do about it? Kill us all? Burn innocent children like your father has?” Merlin said with a sneer.

Arthur let this sink in. He was in a cave and surrounded by sorcerer's. There was a forest and it was enchanted. This had to be where the dragonlord's lived. His father had suspected the forest was enchanted when so many people had failed to return. It was why he fought to keep his son from going on this quest, but Arthur had ridden off in the middle of the night with a few knights by his side.

“You're a dragonlord.” Arthur said simply. Merlin scoffed.

“Future dragonlord. My father is still alive and well, thank you very much. I won't inherit the gift until he dies. I would prefer for that to be a long time from now.” He explained.

“They're all in a meeting to discuss what happened today. There are many dragonlord clans, you see. We are from the Ambrosius clan.” Another voice said. Arthur looked up to see the woman who was in the kitchen standing beside him. He hadn't heard her come over. She held out a bowl of soup.

“Eat, you should be healed but you need your strength for the coming days.” Hunith said with a warm smile.

Arthur eyed her curiously. She must be this boy's mother. He had said she didn't have magic but he was still suspicious. She seemed kind but she was allying herself with the dragonlord's. She was clearly a magic supporter and would be against him and his father.

“It's not poisoned. I told you, if we wanted you dead we wouldn't have helped you.” Merlin said. “Besides, if you don't eat it you're missing out. Mother's stew is delicious.”

That did make sense, and Arthur was starving so he took the bowl with a nod of thanks. The woman smiled at him before going to sit in a nearby chair.

“You seem to know who I am, yet I do not know your names.” Arthur said as he ate. He had to admit, the stew was very good. Merlin looked to his mother before Hunith spoke up.

“I am Hunith Ambrosius and this is my son, Merlin.” she introduced.

“Your husband is a dragonlord then?” Arthur asked. She nodded.

“He is. He is the one who brought you here.” She explained.

“Was he the one who healed me?” He asked. He didn't want to admit it, but he was grateful for that.

“No, Kilgharrah did.” Merlin spoke up. Arthur tilted his head slightly.

“Who's Kilgharrah?” He asked. Merlin smirked.

“He is the great dragon. He's the biggest and oldest of all the dragons who live here.” He said proudly. This man may be the Once and Future King but he still didn't fully trust him, no matter what Kilgharrah said.

Arthur let this new information sink in. He was in a dragonlord's cave and he had been healed by a dragon. Not only had he been healed by a dragon but Merlin had made reference to multiple dragons living here. Escape was not going to come easily.

“Why did you help me?” He finally asked as he finished up the soup. It had been delicious.

“Because we're not murderer's like you.” Merlin sneered. Hunith put a hand on her son's arm.

“It is a long story. There is much to explain, but you need more rest. All will be explained in the morning.” Hunith said.

Now that she mentioned it he was starting to feel tired again. He lay back down, momentarily wondering if he was taking one of the family members beds. It was then he remembered that he was a prince and had been injured and they should be giving up a bed for him. He watched as the young man went to help his mother in their kitchen, soon drifting off to sleep.

\---

Arthur woke to the smell of something cooking. He sat up to see a different woman in the kitchen. This one was older than Hunith. He noticed Hunith was setting the table. He looked over to a sitting area of the cave. Merlin was sitting on a blanket with his back to the prince, reading from a book. It looked like he was practising a spell of some kind. A little girl was sitting across from him, watching. She had the same dark hair and large ears as Merlin, this must be the sister that was asleep the night before.

She looked up and noticed the prince was awake. She got up and started to wander towards him, tilting her head curiously. Merlin was too engrossed in his spell practice to notice.

“Freya!” A deep voice echoed through the cave. The girl stopped and looked towards the entrance of the cave.

Arthur looked as well as a large man with long dark hair and a beard stepped in, carrying two recently killed rabbits in one hand. He was probably the dragonlord of the family. Uther had made Arthur study up on the dragonlords. He had learned that the power was passed from father to son, just as Merlin had hinted the night before. Merlin had mentioned his father and Hunith had spoken of her husband who had brought Arthur there.

“Come here, Freya.” The dragonlord said.

The girl obeyed her father, going to his side. He put a protective arm around her, eyes narrowed at Arthur. The whole family was staring at Arthur now. There was a part of him that wanted to shrink away from the stares, but he was a prince of Camelot. He must be composed and dignified.

“I wouldn't harm her. I would never harm a child.” He finally said, breaking the silence that had fallen in the cave.

“Your father used to say that. Look at all the children he's murdered.” Balinor hissed. Now that Arthur was awake he couldn't hold back his anger. Freya paled slightly, grabbing her father's tunic. Suddenly the prince was less interesting and more terrifying.

“I don't believe in killing children.” Arthur said, thinking of a druid boy he helped escape Camelot a month ago.

“Even if they have magic? Don't lie to me boy. I know what your father preaches. I know that he would teach you his ways.”

Arthur tried not to flinch back from the man. He had always said he wasn't scared of anything but now that he was facing a dragonlord, he was nervous. The man was intimidating and he could summon a dragon at any time.

“I am not my father. I believe in giving everyone a fair trial. If they are using magic for evil and wish to harm the kingdom, then they should be executed. If they mean no harm then they should go free. The children here may be innocent but I'm sure you are conspiring to destroy Camelot.” Arthur said. Balinor laughed bitterly.

“Boy, if we wanted to destroy Camelot we would have done so long ago. There are many dragons living in these mountains and multiple dragonlord's to command them. We all escaped here because we want to live in peace, even if it means we're condemned to live in caves. It is not the life I would have chosen for my family, but it is the life we are forced to live if we want to keep our heads.” Balinor said as he ventured further into his family's home, going to put the rabbits in the kitchen area. He would skin them later so they could make a stew for lunch or dinner. Freya went back to her brother's side, sitting on the floor once again.

“Where did you live before?” Arthur asked, swinging his legs over the cot. His father and the books he had been given spoke of the dragonlord's being savages and always living in caves among the dragons, but he was starting to suspect that wasn't true.

Balinor frowned. That was an odd question. One would assume they had lived like everyone else. What had Uther been telling this boy? He took one of the chairs from the table, taking it over to the bed and sitting near it.

“Where do you think we lived before? What do you know of our kind?” he challenged.

“The books said that the dragonlords were men gifted with the power to control dragons. There are multiple dragonlord clans, and the power is passed down from father to son at the time of the former's death. The dragonlord's were savage and vicious, living alongside the dragons they enslaved and ruled over. When the purge began they disappeared and are rarely found these days. They are said to be biding their time and will one day attack Camelot.” Arthur said.

There was silence in the cave. Arthur could tell his information was definitely wrong judging by the way the family stared at him as if he was crazy.

“Wow.” Merlin finally said. “That's...wow.” He shook his head, turning back to his book.

“I assume my suspicions are correct and none of that is true.” Arthur frowned.

“It is partially true.” Balinor began. “It is true that there are multiple dragonlord clans and that the power is passed from father to son when the father dies. It is also true that the dragonlord's have the power to give commands to dragons. What is wrong is that we have not enslaved them. The old religion has decided we are kin. We are all connected to each other. We can understand and speak the dragon tongue. It is very rare that a dragonlord will give a dragon a command that they don't want to follow. It would be abusing the power we have been given. We treat each other with respect and as equals. We are not vicious or savage and we have no plans to attack Camelot.” He sighed.

“We also used to live like everyone else. We never lived in caves before the purge. My father had land and we had a real house. We only fled to the mountains to escape.” Balinor explained.

Arthur was silent as he contemplated all this. He had been lied too. He hated to go against his father like this but it was clear that at least part of the information he had been given was a lie. He had only been around this family for a short while and he could tell they were not vicious savages. The dragonlord looked intimidating but he was just a man like any other. He could speak reason and had a family that he took care of.

“Your father; did he die in the purge?” Arthur asked softly.

“No. He lived in these caves with the rest of the dragonlords. He passed on from illness a few years ago.” Balinor's eyes saddened. “I wish he could have met his granddaughter before then.” He said softly.

“I see. I'm sorry for your loss.” Arthur said. Balinor raised an eyebrow. The prince was giving his condolences for the death of a dragonlord? That was unexpected.

“The time for grieving has long passed. We must look to the future. It is what Aldred would want for us.” A woman's voice said. Arthur looked over to see the woman in the kitchen looking to him.

“Aldred...that was his name? I'm afraid I don't know your name, my lady, nor yours.” Arthur said to Rowena and Balinor.

“I am Rowena Ambrosius, and he is my son and the dragonlord Balinor Ambrosius. The young one is my granddaughter, Freya. I believe you met Merlin and Hunith last night, yes?” Rowena said with a smile.

“Last night? Where was I?” Freya pouted.

“You were asleep, dear.” Hunith chuckled.

“Why didn't anyone wake me up? I woke up when grandmother and papa came home!” The child argued.

“You needed your sleep. Besides, you only woke up because father tripped on the chair, knocked it over, fell to the ground, and shouted. It's strange since Arthur started shouting about sorcerer's when he woke up but you slept like a log. I guess you two traded places since he slept like a log through the whole thing.” Merlin said. Balinor looked embarrassed at his clumsiness and his reaction.

“If you hadn't left the chair by the bed, I wouldn't have tripped over it.” He argued. Merlin laughed.

“I'm sorry, father. I was so tired when I went to bed, I didn't think about it.” He said.

“I told you you should have made some light to see where you were going, son.” Rowena sighed with a shake of her head.

“She is right, you silly man. Now you know for next time.” Hunith giggled, walking across the cavern to give Balinor a kiss on the forehead.

Arthur watched the family with interest. They were nothing like he would expect a sorcerer family to be. He had expected them to all be evil, but he had seem the families in the lower town. These sorcerer's were just like them. It was fascinating to the prince. Fascinating and confusing at the same time. It was nice to see such a loving family, but this also went against everything he ever knew. He had already discovered the books his father gave him were supposedly wrong, he was starting to doubt the other things he was taught as well.

“When can I go home? I'm feeling much better.” Arthur spoke up.

The family paused, the adults looking at each other. There was a moment of silence before Balinor stood up.

“We can't let you leave yet. We need to be sure the wards are in fact still up and we are safe. When we are sure our lives won't be in danger you will be free to leave. Besides, there is someone who wants to meet you. He has a lot to tell you and thinks you should stay with us for a little while anyways so you can learn from us.” he said.

“You can't hold me prisoner. I'm the prince of Camelot, they'll come looking for me.” Arthur frowned, standing up.

“If we're right and the wards are still up no one will ever find you.” Balinor said dryly. He stood up as well. He wasn't going to let the young prince think he could intimidate him. “They would die trying.”

“If you let me go, I swear no harm will come to your people.” Arthur said. Now Balinor was starting to become like the sorcerer's Arthur knew.

“I'm sorry, but I can't. I have said I will be the one to keep an eye on you. He wants us to teach you of our ways before you return to Camelot, so you can return with an open mind. Besides, a Pendragon's word means nothing to any of us. Most of us still doubt you are who you're supposed to be.” Balinor replied.

Arthur paused. Did these people seriously doubt he was the prince? They were so adamant that he would attack them. They called him sire and a Pendragon.

“What do you mean?” Arthur asked. Balinor sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Just come with me. All will be explained soon enough.” He said. Maybe Arthur would finally get the answers he had asked for the night before. Merlin stood up, coming to Arthur's side.

“My grandfather once told me that 'One should never fear their destiny, no matter how intimidating it seems. You must be brave when you find yours.' You should remember that.” he said.

“Destiny? Why should I care about destiny?” Arthur huffed.

“Because Arthur Pendragon...we're going to someone who will reveal yours.” Balinor said.

 


	2. The Mountains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur learns of his destiny and is forced to live among the dragonlords. He learns many things, including hidden family secrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was beta'd! schweet_heart is so awesome! I had a lot of fun writing this because I got to play around with dragonlord traditions and names. I know the dragon tongue is supposedly ancient Greek, but I used modern Greek for 'dragon heir' and used the spell from the Merlin wiki to summon Killy. Any other terms I end up using will also be modern Greek because I'm only fluent in google translate. If you actually speak Greek please feel free to correct things when they do pop up. 
> 
> Also, baby dragons are actually cats. This will all make sense later.

As Balinor steered him through the halls, Arthur wondered how he was supposed to feel about all this. The dragonlord made sure the prince was in front of him the whole time so he could keep an eye on him. His children followed behind him, Merlin holding Freya's hand. Hunith and Rowena had stayed back, saying they would have breakfast ready when the group returned. Balinor had wanted Freya to stay behind as well, but she begged him to let her visit Kilgharrah. She loved the old dragon, despite the fact that he was incredibly cryptic and frustrating at times. He seemed to like her as well.

Arthur decided he should at least be grateful they gave him a change of clothes. Balinor had grumbled about handing over some of his, but everyone agreed that the young man couldn't walk around in broken chain mail and a ripped tunic. He was now wearing a pair of black trousers and a slightly baggy blue tunic, with a belt around his waist to hold everything together. His boots had survived the attack, so he was able to wear those. It was clear neither he or the dragonlord were overly pleased with this arrangement. Arthur found himself wishing that Merlin wasn't so skinny. At least Merlin seemed to like him, unlike his father who appeared to barely tolerate him.

When they led him into a huge empty cave, Arthur  was worried for a moment that they planned to leave him there. There appeared to be a trench that Balinor could easily push him into. If he did, all their troubles would be over. Instead he let Arthur go, moving so he stood  beside the prince.

“Whatever you do, don't run away. You'll just look like a coward,” Balinor said. Arthur frowned as he heard Merlin and Freya giggling behind him.

“I will not run,” Arthur insisted. Balinor shrugged. He looked up to the hole in the top of the cavern.

“Ω δρακον, έάω μαλερός σοφόνους φθέγγομαι τείδε άναδικέω!” He called in a deep, gravelly voice.

Arthur was hocked. He jumped back before he could stop himself. Balinor saw him in the corner of his eye, smirking at the prince's reaction. Arthur regained his composure as he heard the flapping of wings and the cave darkened as a huge dragon came through the top. It landed in front of them, surveying the group.

“Killy! I missed you!” Freya said happily, running to greet the dragon. Kilgharrah lowered his head, allowing Freya  to hug him.

“Greetings, young witch. Though it was only yesterday that we last spoke.” Kilgharrah chuckled.

“It felt like longer,” she said, letting him go.

“I suppose there are days where time feels that way. Now, I suspect I have been called for a reason other than this reunion?” The dragon said, turning his head to Arthur.

Arthur stared back into golden eyes that almost looked like they were glowing. The dragon made him nervous. Those eyes felt like they bore right into his very soul.

“You do not need to fear me, Arthur Pendragon. I will not harm the Once and Future King. I must say I am surprised that it is you who will join with Emrys and free us all,” Kilgharrah said. So those eyes were actually seeing right through him.

Arthur stared up at the beast in confusion. The Once and Future King? Emrys? Freeing who?

“I don't understand,” he said. “What is the Once and Future King? What is Emrys? Who will I supposedly be freeing?”

Kilgharrah chuckled.

“You have a great destiny, one that goes against everything you have been taught, young prince. Emrys and the Once and Future King have been foretold for generations. Emrys will join with the Once and Future King. Together they will unite the kingdoms as one under the name Albion. Magic will be free once more and will live in peace with everyone else, as it has been for centuries,” Kilgharrah explained.

Arthur couldn't hold back his look of disbelief. The crazy beast had been right about one thing: his so called destiny did go against everything he had been taught. He had been taught magic was a plague upon Camelot and had to be destroyed. His father had created the laws and he would enforce them when he became king. Instead, he was apparently supposed to do the opposite and bring magic back. That wasn't even including the part about some Emrys character.

“You're mad,” Arthur said simply.

“I said a similar thing when he told me,” Merlin said, coming to Arthur's side. “Between being Emrys and someone like you being the Once and Future King...”

Arthur was now staring at Merlin. This boy was supposed to be the Emrys he was going to work with?

“What does Emrys mean anyways?” Arthur frowned.

“Emrys is the greatest warlock to ever live, young Pendragon. You and he  are two sides of the same coin. He is destined to protect you so that you can succeed. You will need each other. Merlin has known for the past few years that he is the Emrys of legend,” Kilgharrah said.

Arthur looked to Merlin with wide eyes. This young man was the greatest warlock to ever live? Just how powerful was he? Arthur took a step back. If he was that powerful, clearly he must be extremely evil, if his father's views on magic were anything to go by. Yet Merlin was just looking at him with a goofy grin on his face. Someone who was evil wouldn't have such a stupid expression, would they?

“So you are the most dangerous and the most evil then,” Arthur said softly.

“Don't you dare speak of my son like that, Pendragon! If anyone is dangerous and evil it is your father!” Balinor sneered. Merlin looked unimpressed.

“Dangerous and evil? Is that really what you got out of all of that? You really are a prat,” he said, crossing his arms.

The father and son had very different reactions. Balinor's reaction somewhat reminded Arthur of his own father. The man had a temper and could lash out. However Uther didn't usually lash out when someone said something about Arthur. He would frown and have the person arrested for treason, but he wouldn't do so with a sneer like Balinor had.

_Sorcerer's do not care for their families like you and I do. They do not see them as people, only things they can train and infect with their evil._

It felt like so long ago that his father had said those words, but it had only been a month. He had always told Arthur  such things as he was growing  up. Arthur  really hated  how these sorcerer's kept proving his father wrong. He had seen Balinor's family. He had married a woman without magic. Wouldn't it mean their children might be born without magic? It turned out that they did, but Arthur felt he was reasonable to assume the risk was there. He had seen the man give his wife a kiss before they left, smiling and telling her they would be back soon, telling her he loved her.

Merlin had been concerned about his sister waking up the night before. He had been sitting with her in the morning. He seemed to respect his father and mother. He had given his mother and grandmother hugs before they left the cave. He looked to be sweet boy.

Freya was just like any other child. She was carefree and curious. Arthur wouldn't be surprised if he found out that she had friends she played with. She had also gone running right up to the dragon and hugged the creature as if it were  a friendly dog. She would listen to her father and had been running around the kitchen area earlier, chatting away to her mother and grandmother happily.

They were people. Normal people, except for the dragons and magic. He looked up, realizing that Balinor and Kilgharrah were arguing.

“I do not want that man living in my home any longer, Kilgharrah! He's dangerous! He's just like his father. You know that none of us want him around,” Balinor said.

“He has to stay with you, Balinor. Is that not what our kin decided last night? That because his destiny was tied to Merlin's, you should be the one to watch over him? I remember you agreeing with everyone. Your mother did as well,” Kilgharrah challenged.

Balinor and Rowena had agreed with the fellow dragonlords, their families, and the dragons. Just as Balinor had predicted, he was starting to have second thoughts.

“I did not know you to be a coward, Balinor,” Kilgharrah said casually.

Arthur could feel the tension in the cavern. The Ambrosius children narrowed their eyes at the dragon. Balinor held up a hand to them. He could deal with the dragon.

“Is it cowardice to want to protect one's family? He has called Merlin evil. That was his first thought. He is just like his father. He hates us, and him,” Balinor challenged.

“He is the Once and Future King. The half cannot truly hate that which makes it whole. You are a wise man, Balinor. You can guide the prince, teach him about our kind. Teach him we are not to be feared unless provoked. Your kin will help you in this quest. They all wish to live among men once more. When you feel the prince is ready, he can return to Camelot with Merlin by his side,” Kilgharrah explained. Balinor seemed to be listening quietly, up until that last bit.

“Merlin by his side? Do you want me to send a torch with him to help Uther light the pyre as well? He’s not going to Camelot!” Balinor cried. Kilgharrah shook his head.

“Merlin must go to Camelot if he is to fulfill his destiny, Balinor. They can only create Albion if they are together. They cannot do it from here,” Kilgharrah said.

“I can do it, Father. I can hide my magic. One day we can return to Camelot and have a real house,” Merlin insisted, stepping forward.

The older generation of dragonlords had spoken of where they lived before, of the large houses they had lived in. Even the small house his mother had lived in before she left with his father sounded wonderful. They had spoken of all the other people who lived around them. He had grown up in the caves, tunnel systems, and mountains but he had always wanted to see a real house. If the buildings that the dragonlord clans had lived in before were really as large as they said, he might even have his own room! He was used to living in the caves, but there was a part of him that longed to live among everyone else, like a normal person would. If he helped create Albion then magic would be free and everyone could join them.

“No. I can't lose you to Uther's madness,” Balinor insisted, putting his hands on Merlin's shoulders.

“It is understandable. He's your heir after all,” Arthur said. Sure, his own father loved him, but Arthur was next in line for the throne. That was the most important thing. The glare that he received from the dragonlord made him regret speaking.

“Most importantly he is my son,” Balinor said. “I couldn't care less if he inherits my gift. Even if he never became a dragonlord, I would still love him. He is my son first.”

“What do you mean? Isn't he going to be the next dragonlord?” Arthur raised an eyebrow. He had always assumed the next in line would inherit the power. Balinor scoffed.

“He is Emrys. I have very little doubt he will be a great dragonlord one day, but there is a very rare chance that he will not inherit the gift. He will not know until Balinor's death and he summons the dragons to light the funeral pyre. It is the way of our kind,” Kilgharrah explained quickly.

“You have a lot to learn of our people, Arthur Pendragon,” Balinor said. “Perhaps it will open your eyes and we can fix all the lies Uther has told you.”

“You need to remember that what you have just said, Balinor. Arthur's mind has been corrupted by Uther. You need to have patience and trust in him. He will learn with time,” Kilgharrah said.

Arthur was angry, to say the least. These two were speaking about him as if he wasn't standing right in front of them, and they were insulting his father. Arthur would admit that his father had lied about the dragonlords, but he did that because they had gotten out of his grasp, didn't he? Yes, that had to be the reason he lied. He took a deep breath and sighed, calming himself. If he was stuck here, then it was best to work with these people.

“And you, Arthur...you must open your mind. You and Merlin are two sides of the same coin, as I have said before. You must trust him. He will guide you,” the dragon said.

“To start off, you can continue to call me a future dragonlord if you want. It's probably easier for you. But in the dragon tongue I am called a Κληρονόμο δράκων. It means 'Dragon Heir.' The dragonlord's gift is passed to the firstborn son. That was me, so I'm the Klironómo Drákon.” Merlin jumped right into lessons. He didn't know why, but he found himself excited to teach the prince.

“Kli-roh-noh-moh drah-kohn...” Arthur sounded it out. Merlin grinned, Freya clapped, and even Balinor gave a nod of approval, though he was still frowning. That was something positive from the man at least.

“See, Balinor? He is willing to learn,” Kilgharrah said. Balinor sighed.

“I suppose I can make an attempt. Thank you for your guidance, Kilgharrah,” Balinor said. He still didn't really trust the prince but it was becoming clear he had no way out of this. He could only hope the man would prove him wrong. He sighed before turning back to the prince and his children.

“Come, children. We should go home. Your mother and grandmother will be waiting with breakfast,” he said.

\---

Balinor let Arthur walk on his own this time, though he followed close behind. Merlin and Freya were beside the prince, happily chatting to him about magic. For the most part, Arthur seemed to be listening, though he looked a bit uncomfortable with it all.

They ran into another dragonlord along the way. Freya happily greeted her 'Uncle Cyr' with a hug, which the man returned. He was around Balinor's age with children of his own, though the three of them were closer to Merlin than Freya due to their ages. Cyr greeted Merlin as well, before turning to Balinor and completely ignoring the prince.

The two chatted for a minute before saying their farewells and heading in opposite directions. Cyr stopped in his tracks as he heard Arthur's voice echoing down the hall.

“Was he a dragonlord, or a Klironómo Drákon?” He asked Merlin, curious. He could tell the man was around Balinor's age but that didn't mean that his father had passed on. Arthur wondered if there was a way to tell by appearance alone. Most likely not, but it was worth investigating. Cyr turned.

“You know of that title?” He said, raising an eyebrow. He wasn't about to admit it, but he was somewhat impressed. Only those among the clans knew of that title. It wasn't widely used. He had most likely heard it from Merlin or Freya, but his pronunciation was excellent.

Arthur looked worried for a moment before nodding. Had he done something wrong?

“I taught him. Kilgharrah said that he needed to learn...so I started to teach him,” Merlin explained. “He got it on the first try too.”

Cyr stared at the prince. Arthur had regained his composure and was staring back at him, standing tall and his head held high. After some silence, he nodded.

“Yes, I'm surprised. I didn't expect a Pendragon to have interest in our ways,” Cyr said.

“It would appear I have no choice. I'm stuck here, though I am enjoying learning things. The books my father gave me...there were errors in them,” Arthur said.

“More like they were full of sh-” Merlin started before Balinor interrupted him.

“Merlin!” He snapped. Merlin looked a bit guilty and glanced at Freya. She stared back with wide eyes.

“More like they were full of lies,” he said quickly. Balinor gave a nod at that.

“They said we had always lived in caves and were vicious savages, and that we enslaved the dragons,” Merlin explained to Cyr. Cyr raised another eyebrow.

“Yes, _Mer_ lin, I think you made your point earlier. It was ridiculous.” Arthur frowned. He was embarrassed that Cyr knew the details of it all now. No doubt the man could put two and two together and figure out that he had spent his life believing it all. To his surprise Cyr actually put a hand on his shoulder.

“You cannot help what your father made you. He had chosen his path but you can still change yours. I hope you are indeed the Once and Future King we have been waiting for,” he said. Arthur forced a smile. He was willing to learn about the dragonlords but he still wasn't sure about this whole 'Once and Future King' business.

“Well, I best be getting on my way. I was just returning something to Malcolm. Rosalind will be waiting for me.” Cyr smiled, letting go of Arthur's shoulder. Balinor chuckled.

“Yes, we should get back to Hunith and mother. They will be waiting for us. We will speak more later, Cyr,” Balinor said.

With that the other dragonlord left. Arthur watched him leave before speaking up.

“No one answered my question,” he said softly. He wasn't used to people ignoring his questions and asking their own instead. There seemed to be a lot of things he would have to get used to. Merlin laughed.

“He's a dragonlord, like father. Now hurry up, I'm hungry.” He grinned.

\---

They returned to the cave. Hunith and Rowena were waiting for them. Breakfast was ready and served out. The table was round, Arthur noted. He managed to hold back a small smile when Balinor pulled out the chairs for his wife, daughter, and his mother while Hunith laughed about the 'silly man who needed to show off how much of a gentleman he is'. Now that his family was complete, the man was smiling again.

Arthur was seated between Merlin and Balinor, probably so Balinor could keep a close eye on him. Arthur was silent as Freya told the story of their trip to the great dragon, eating the bland porridge and occasionally casting glances at those at the table to gauge their reactions. He smiled when Hunith and Rowena praised him for learning how to pronounce dragon heir in the dragon tongue, giving them a nod and thanks. After breakfast, Merlin insisted on showing him around the mountains.

“So, you want to show me the rocks?” Arthur said. Merlin rolled his eyes.

“You know for a prince who apparently had such a good education, you don't know much do you?” he said. “The mountains are more than just rocks. There are trees and grass as well. Where do you think we get water? There are  underground pools and a small river that runs through the valley. We farm there as well. Just follow me, I'll show you,” he said.

Arthur rolled his own eyes as he went to follow Merlin. The young man led him though the short tunnel between the cave and the outside. Arthur didn't realize he had been so close. He had expected to find himself on a thin ledge, but instead he found himself on a flat grassy space, just as Merlin had said. He looked around with wide eyes. He could see other people moving in and out of the cave system.

The biggest surprise was the number  of dragons. There we so many of various sizes and colours. Some were flying through the air while others were resting on other grassy spaces. A little blue dragon flew towards them. Merlin smiled and held his arms out, the creature landing in them.

“Hello, Eumelia,” he greeted. The dragon made happy noises, snuggling up to the dragon heir. Arthur watched curiously.

“Eumelia hatched recently. Father was the one who hatched her, so she is close to our family. Sometimes she even wanders into the cave since she's small enough, so don't be surprised if you wake up with a baby dragon in your face.” Merlin laughed.

“She doesn't speak. Is Kilgharrah the only one who can? And what do you mean when you say that your father hatched her?” Arthur asked.

“No, Kilgharrah is the oldest of all the dragons here, but all of the adults and some of the younger ones can speak. She's just a baby. Like humans, they need to learn. A baby dragon is brought into this world when a dragonlord gives it a name. They can only hatch then. The dragonlords are drawn to the eggs when they're ready, and that is who will call the dragon into the world. She hatched a few weeks ago. She's Kilgharrah's daughter, actually. His mate is named Iantha. I'll introduce you to her if we see her,” Merlin explained as he began to walk, still carrying the baby dragon. Eumelia didn't seem to mind; she just curled up in his arms. Arthur followed, trusting Merlin enough to lead him around safely.

“They let her fly around on her own?” Arthur frowned. Most animals stayed with their young for some time.

“Of course. If it was just them they'd probably keep her closer, but she's safe here. We are all kin. We look out for each other. Especially my family and Kilgharrah. He's been close with the Ambrosius clan for ages. It was one of my ancestors who called him into this world, actually. Eumelia isn't their only hatchling –  she has an older brother that my grandfather hatched. He was born the same year as me. His name is Heliodoros. He's the bronze one having a nap on that ledge there, actually,” Merlin said. He nodded to a bronze dragon who seemed to be fast asleep, happily basking in the sun. He was far smaller than Arthur had expected. Then again, his basis was the dragon's father who was centuries old. Heliodoros was still young.

Eumelia perked up when her brother was mentioned, flying from Merlin's arms. She flew over to the bigger dragon, hovering above him before closing her wings and crashing down on him. Heliodoros jerked awake, looking around in confusion . When he caught sight of his younger sibling, he roared.

“Eumelia! Leave me alone and go home!” he cried. Merlin was watching all of this, laughing. The corners of Arthur's mouth twitched up and he soon found himself laughing at the sight as well. Heliodoros was trying to catch Eumelia, but she kept darting out of the way. In the end he grumbled, settling down again while Eumelia landed beside his head. She curled up, resting her tiny head against her brother's larger one. He didn't seem to mind much, but he did grumble a bit.

“Come on, I'll take you down to the valley. You can see how we farm,” Merlin said with a smile, gesturing for the prince to follow him.

Arthur followed willingly, though he occasionally got distracted by the dragons flying around. Along the way they were stopped by various people, Merlin patiently introducing Arthur to all of them. He told Arthur the history of the dragonlords. There were supposedly fifteen clans in all, sometimes from the surrounding countries. There was the Ambrosius clan, which was Merlin and his family. There was also the Emory clan, Renold clan, Thorel clan, Urry clan, Albelin clan, Cairon clan, Mongomory clan, Estenay clan, Thaon clan, Vernon clan, Sollers clan, Osmont clan, Willoughby clan, and the Dalyngridge clan. Merlin told him the clan of each person they met, as well as who the dragonlord or dragon heir of that family was. There really wasn't a way to tell who the dragonlord or dragon heir was. The youngest dragonlord Arthur met was a few years older than Merlin!

“There's someone my age too. His name’s Will. He's from the Renold clan. He lost his parents to illness last year. He...left a few months ago. It's not really encouraged, but it isn't forbidden either. We grew up together. He's my best friend. I hope he's alright,” Merlin said when Arthur made a comment about it, his expression saddening. The death of Will's parents had hit him hard. He had said he needed to get away from the mountains and see the world. Everyone had tried to change his mind, but he couldn't be swayed.

Arthur never had a best friend. He had knights he was close to, like Leon, but he was always seen as their prince to be respected, not their friend. He had seen others with friends. He had always wondered what it was like.

“I see,” he said. It was the only reply he could really give. Merlin sighed.

“It is what it is. Come on, we're almost at the valley.”

They were silent the rest of the way, though Merlin brightened up at the sight of the valley. Arthur stopped to stare. It was beautiful. It was filled with small buildings and fields, a decent sized river running through it. There were a few people working the land, some smaller dragons helping. The most noticeable dragon was Kilgharrah himself. He was perched up on the mountainside, watching it all. The light blue dragon next to him was only slightly smaller.

“That's Iantha, Kilgharrah's mate.” Merlin grinned as they entered the valley. Arthur nodded. He was curious as to where Eumelia's darker blue shade had come from as her mother was a lighter shade of blue. He could understand Heliodoros' bronze; Kilgharrah looked bronze in the dimmer light of the cave. Now that he was in the sun it was clear he was a magnificent shade of bronze, his scales shimmering in the sunlight.

Merlin greeted the people farming as he passed by, introducing Arthur to them. Some of the younger ones invited them to have lunch with them, something Arthur appreciated. He was starving. They sat, chatted, and ate happily. The two large dragons loomed over the valley the whole time. After lunch, Merlin brought Arthur over to them.

Merlin bowed to them, and the two dragons returned the gesture, bowing their heads to the dragon heir. Arthur paused as Iantha raised her head, her gold eyes watching him curiously. He quickly gave a small bow to the two dragons as well –  it only seemed polite. He was getting the feeling the two were some kind of dragon royalty. He had seen some very large dragons today but they were by far the largest.

“This is Arthur Pendragon, is it not? It is a joy to know that Emrys has finally met the Once and Future King.” Iantha spoke. Her voice was smooth and calming, it was different from Kilgharrah's deep and intimidating voice.

“I am. Merlin has told me you are Iantha. It is an honour to meet you,” Arthur  said. He remained dignified and calm, but what he noticed in the corner of his eye almost made him lose that.

He saw a small blue blur fly past them. He next saw it peeking over one of Kilgharrah's horns. The corners of his mouth twitched when he recognized Eumelia. She crawled onto Kilgharrah's head and sat there. She was so tiny compared to the large dragon. Arthur glanced over at Merlin. He had a huge grin as he was watching the baby dragon. Arthur wondered for a moment if Kilgharrah could feel it, but the dragon was very still so he guessed he could.

Iantha followed Merlin and Arthur's gaze, a smile coming to her face. She gently nuzzled against her mate before moving to greet her daughter. The baby dragon bopped noses with her mother while giving a happy cry in response. It resembled a kiss in a way. Arthur was smiling now, surprised at how quickly he had become accustomed to the large creatures. He could only guess that it was the human characteristics he could recognize that helped ease any fears. The books had always described dragons as savage beasts with no feelings. He had seen many dragons today and that was clearly wrong.

Lots of what he knew was probably wrong.

He watched Heliodolos fly over and land by his parents, grumbling about how Eumelia had woken him up and bothered him. Arthur's first thought was that it was childish for the dragon's age, but he rationalized that in dragon years he was still equivalent to a child. Iantha gently scolded Eumelia, telling her that she shouldn't wake her brother like that. She then turned to Heliodolos and told him that he had to be patient with the baby.

First Arthur had watched sorcerers be a functional, loving family. Now he was watching dragons do the same. Merlin's voice brought him out of his thoughts.

“Do you want to see the forge? We do have one, you'd probably like it,” he said.

“You make weapons? What for?” Arthur asked.

“We still need  to know how defend ourselves. The forge makes the crossbows and arrows for hunting as well as any metalwork or leather work we need done. I'm not very good with a sword, but I'm sure there's others who would be willing to spar with you. Most of our swords are also forged in dragon's breath. Nothing is stronger than they are. Only the ones made for training aren't,” Merlin explained as they began to walk. Arthur was surprised.

“Dragon's breath?” he asked. Merlin smiled.

“Yeah, when the sword is almost complete the blacksmith brings it to a dragon and they breathe fire over it. The sword is complete then, nothing can go against it,” he explained. Arthur nodded. It would be interesting to have a weapon like that, a weapon that could kill anything. It would be useful for creatures like the monster that he and his knights had faced.

His expression saddened as he thought of his knights. He had led them to the slaughter. They had died protecting him. If he had a weapon that could kill anything, then they wouldn't have died.

“Arthur? Are you alright?” Merlin asked, frowning slightly.

“My knights...I brought them here. We were looking for the dragons and the dragonlords, as you can probably guess. It was supposed to be a big victory for Camelot. Instead, we were attacked by some creature. It had a lion’s body, with talons instead of claws and the head of an eagle. It had wings as well. It killed all my knights and wounded me. Only I got away,” Arthur said softly.

Merlin was silent as he thought, trying to go over all the creatures he knew about. It sounded familiar, but he couldn't think of what they were called. He saw a black dragon that he recognized resting on a landing nearby. He was awake and merely watching some young ones playing.

“Kleitos, can I please ask you a question?” Merlin asked, going closer to the dragon. Kleitos turned his head.

“What is it you wish to know, Merlin?” he replied.

“I feel like I know what it is, but I can't think of the name...on his journey here, Arthur was attacked by a creature with the body of a lion and the head of an eagle. Its talons caused the wound on his side.” Merlin explained. Arthur jumped slightly when the dragon let out a loud gasp.

“You speak of a griffin. I do not know why such a beast would be roaming around here. This is troubling news. A griffin is a creature of magic. It can only be killed with magic. They are very dangerous,” Kleitos explained.

It was a slight reassurance to know that the monster hadn't been affiliated with the dragons or the dragonlords. However, the griffin was still out there. It could hurt more people.

“Would a sword forged in dragon's breath kill it?” Arthur asked. Kleitos nodded.

“Such a weapon is created with magic. It could slay the beast. You should speak with Balinor. He has a sword. Perhaps he would be willing to help,” Kleitos said. Arthur didn't remember seeing a sword at Balinor's side. Either he had missed it or the man was keeping it somewhere else.

“Where can I get one? The beast is in Camelot and it can hurt my people. I am their prince. It's my duty to protect them!” Arthur insisted. Kleitos seemed to frown.

“A sword forged in dragon’s breath is a great gift, Pendragon. One does not simply acquire them easily. They are very powerful weapons that can do great evil in the wrong hands,” Kleitos said sternly.

“I can't just stand by knowing that beast is out there! If it's so dangerous, you should be helping me!” Arthur cried. Merlin put a hand on his shoulder.

“Come on, Arthur. We'll go home and speak with Father. He'll know what to do. He can get some others to help him hunt it down. Please?” Merlin asked. He didn't want Arthur incinerated by a dragon. They were proud creatures and now he was yelling at one and demanding help. Merlin flinched when Kleitos stood up.

“It would be best to listen to Emrys. No dragon here will gift you with such a sword,” he said, stretching his wings out and flying away. Arthur fumed, stomping off.

“Hurry up, Merlin!” he ordered. Merlin sighed and rolled his eyes, going to catch up to Arthur.

“At least let me lead. You don't know where you're going,” he said, grabbing Arthur's arm and leading him back to the cave.

\---

Thankfully, Balinor was there. He was standing over a table, cutting up the rabbits he had killed earlier so Hunith could make stew. Now that Arthur was aware of it, he could see the sword strapped to the man's belt. He walked right over to him, pointing to the sword.

“I need your sword,” he said. Merlin groaned and covered his face with his hands. Hunith and Freya were sitting on the larger of the two bed mats, using the pillows to prop themselves up. Freya had been reading a book to her mother. They both looked up when Arthur came in.

Balinor stopped what he was doing, straightening up to full height and turning to face Arthur. He wasn't going to let the prince think he could make demands of him in his own home.

“What makes you think I will give you any sword, let alone mine?” He frowned. “This sword is a gift. It was passed down from my father. You will not touch it.”

“I need to kill the griffin. It's in Camelot and it's my duty as prince to protect the people of this land. A dragon said it can only be killed with magic, and a sword forged in dragon's breath can kill it. I'm sure that thing is one of them, so I need it,” Arthur said, not backing down. He wasn't going to let Balinor think he could intimidate him.

Balinor's eyes widened. A griffin? That was what had caused Arthur's wound? That was a problem.

“I will gather some of my kin. We'll go hunt the griffin. If you care about your people, you will let us do this. I refuse to give you my sword, but I will help you,” Balinor said. That didn't seem to satisfy Arthur.

“No! I care about my people and that's why I have to do it myself! You've been in the mountains for the last twenty-one years! You don't understand anything!” Arthur snapped.

There was silence in the cavern as Balinor's expression darkened.

“Hunith, take Freya outside please,” he said. Hunith and Freya stood up, Hunith leading the little girl out of the cave. Balinor strengthened the silencing charm around their space to make sure none of the argument he knew was coming got out before looking back to Arthur.

“I have been living in the mountains for the last twenty years. I traveled through Essetir for a year. That is how I met my beloved. I know how the world works, boy. I was once a free man, I have seen how Camelot functions. Do not speak to me as if I don't understand. I know exactly what it all means, and what a prince is expected to do. But here, you are not a prince-” Balinor said before Arthur interrupted him.

“No, apparently here I'm the Once and Future King,” he challenged.

“You are our guest here! You are also an outsider! Do you know what I understand? I understand that you are the son of the man who's the reason we're all here! Do you think we want to live like this? Do you think I don't remember the life I had before? I would give the world for my children to live somewhere else. I would give the world for them to be free. I know how the world works, and I doubt it's changed that much in the last twenty years. Uther is not one for change unless it suits his needs. He forced us all into exile on pain of death because of his own guilt. Right now you are one of the last people any of us would consider giving such a sword to. You have two choices right now, boy. You either let the griffin go, or you step back and allow us to hunt it down,” Balinor shouted.

Merlin stood silently, watching the exchange. His whole life everyone had spoken of safety, not freedom. His father had even raised him knowing that here he wasn't truly free. It sounded cruel to an outsider, but it made sense to Merlin. Balinor only wanted his children to understand the circumstances that they lived in. They were safe in the mountains but they were also in exile, not allowed to live among normal people.

Arthur's fists were clenched. He briefly thought about striking Balinor, but the man had magic and could probably stop him before he had the chance. He probably wouldn't be able to get at the sword either. He could see he had little choice. It was infuriating, but his people came first.

“Fine. Go get the others. Kill the griffin. Kill it before it can kill anything else,” he hissed, admitting defeat. He was surprised to feel Balinor's hand on his shoulder a few moments later.

“You are a good man, Arthur. I can see your mother in you. You have your father's temper but your father would never go off to fight his own battles. I admire that you are willing to fight the beast yourself, but you need to understand how sacred these swords are to our people. We do not just give them to anyone. You need to be worthy of such a weapon. Perhaps you will, one day. Who knows. Stay here. We'll deal with the griffin and you won't have to worry about it. Please trust us,” Balinor said.

Arthur perked up at the small mention of his mother. His father rarely spoke of her, and even when he did it was only to tell him about how magic had killed her. Did Balinor know her? He held back the questions. He would ask later; right now, protecting his people was his priority.

“Okay,” he finally said. Balinor gave him a small smile.

“We will find the griffin and kill it. I promise. Thank you for telling us about it. Merlin, please finish preparing the rabbits. We should be home by sundown,” he said, letting Arthur  go and leaving the cave.

Once he was gone, Arthur went and kicked a chair over in frustration. He had never felt this useless before! He was raised to be a knight and a king. He was the first knight of Camelot, yet here he was sitting in a cave, forced to bow to the whims of sorcerers! He cried out, kicking another chair.

“Can you not kick all the chairs? I know it's not anything fancy, but this is still my home and you're our guest,” Merlin said dryly as he went to work on the rabbits.

“You! You didn't even say anything in my defense!” Arthur snapped. Merlin shrugged.

“Why would I? Father is right. A sword like that is a special gift. They don't just randomly give them out. It would be disgracing my grandfather's memory if he happily handed his over to you. He even had to have Iantha's blessing before taking it, since she was the one who forged it. Things here aren't like they are in Camelot. You have no authority here. We have our own traditions and ways. If there's one thing you need to learn quickly, you need to learn to deal with that.” Merlin frowned. The prince was older than he was, and here he was throwing temper tantrums. The last time Merlin had thrown a temper tantrum he had been nine. Arthur should have known better.

“You call me your guest, yet I'm not allowed to leave. I'm your prisoner,” Arthur scoffed.

“Oh no, forgive us for worrying about Uther finding out where we are. We've lived this long, we'd like to continue if you don't mind,” Merlin replied. He had been enjoying Arthur's company earlier, but now he was getting annoyed. He had wanted to befriend him and give him the benefit of the doubt, but the prince was acting like a spoiled brat. His father had also reminded him of their current status. Sometimes it was so easy to believe they were living free and happy, but they weren't. There was silence for a few minutes before Merlin spoke again.

“My father is right, about us living in exile. I like to pretend it's not but...that's what it is. Under Camelot's law's we're all criminals. Here we're safe, but we're not free,” he said.

Arthur was still silent. He could see the truth in Merlin and Balinor's words. The dragonlords had their own community, but it was just them. It was safe thanks to the fact that they were all sorcerers and they were surrounded by dragons, but it wasn't freedom. Freedom was being able to go wherever you pleased. Still, there was a part of Arthur that believed that everyone else was safer with the dragonlords in exile. They seemed to be peaceful people, but what if that were to change?

Merlin finished up with the rabbit, rinsing it in the bucket of water his father had left before putting the chunks of meat into the pot, casting a spell over the pot to keep the meat fresh. He went to another bucket, rinsing the blood off his hands.

“Come on. We were on our way to the forge, right? Albin will be out hunting the griffin since he's the dragonlord, but Giles or Lucian will probably be there. They take over for their father when Albin's not there. The forge is run by the Urry clan. Even the women are trained as blacksmiths, so be prepared. Olivia is Albin's wife, she is very fierce and good with a sword. His daughters, Camilla and Felicia, might be there as well. Felicia is Freya’s age so she doesn’t do much yet, but Camilla can do everything. Don't have a heart attack when you see a woman in pants,” Merlin said with a smirk as they left the cave. He looked around, smiling when he saw his mother and sister under a tree reading. It reminded him of when he was little and they would do the same.

“I will not have a heart attack at the sight of a woman in pants,” Arthur scoffed. He wasn't stupid. Besides, he often saw Morgana wear pants when she came down to the training grounds, much to his father's dismay.

Merlin waved to his mother and sister when they passed, smiling as they waved back.

“The rabbit is in the pot. It's all ready for you. We're going to the forge,” he said.

“Thank you, Merlin. You're such a good boy.” Hunith smiled.

“Have the dragonlords left yet?” Arthur asked. He knew he was interrupting the moment but he wanted to know. Hunith stood up, dusting her skirt off.

“They have. They should be back before sundown. There are some smaller dragons waiting in the forest for them. They're hoping to lure the griffin there and fight it closer to home,” she explained. Arthur nodded.

“Thank you,” he said.

“It is no problem. Now, off you go. You shouldn't worry yourself. They'll be fine and they'll kill it. Go have fun,” Hunith said, gesturing for them to go.

“Mama, can I go with them?” Freya asked. Hunith frowned.

“I don't know dear, the forge can be dangerous...” she said.

“I'll hold her hand and keep her by my side. We'll go visit grandmother after,” Merlin reassured her. Hunith was quiet as she debated this.

“Keep her close, and don't let her get near the fire or any of the weapons. Keep her safe,” she  insisted. “And don't let her out of your sight! I know the mountains are safe but I don't want her to get lost! Oh! And be back in time for supper! Bring your grandmother with you!” Hunith fussed. Merlin laughed.

“Yes, Mother. Don't worry, it will be fine. Freya's been to the forge with Father before, remember? We'll be home in time for supper, and we'll bring Grandmother just as you asked,” he said, putting a hand on his mother's shoulder.

“It's a mother's job to worry about her children,” Hunith said. She sighed and then smiled. “But I trust you, Merlin. You three be good,” she said before heading off towards their home. Freya took Merlin's hand as the trio set off.

“What does your grandmother do?” Arthur asked, curious.

“She's a seamstress. She gets together with some of the other women and they make clothes,” Merlin said.

“She made my dress! And Merlin's tunic and neckerchief and jacket!” Freya said happily.

Arthur found himself looking to Merlin first. He had noticed the blue neckerchief that  morning. Merlin hadn't been wearing it the night before. The jacket and tunic were well made: Rowena was clearly a talented seamstress. He turned his gaze to Freya. No doubt the child would want a compliment on her dress. He smiled. It was a simple lilac dress, but it was very nice.

“It is a lovely dress,” he said truthfully. He would have to compliment Rowena on her work when he saw her.

\---

They continued on their way, Freya chatting the whole time . Arthur was only half listening: he was more focused on watching the dragons. Seeing them in action, they were beautiful. Scary, but beautiful. They were elegant creatures as well, despite their size. They flew through the skies as easily as birds. Before he knew it they were at the forge. The forge was an actual stone building built on a larger landing, smoke rising from the chimney.

“Here we are,” Merlin said. “Remember Freya, hold my hand and don't touch anything.

“I know that. I'm a big girl, I'll behave.” Freya pouted. Merlin chuckled as he opened the door, holding it so Arthur could enter. Further in there was a young man with red hair working on a sword, beating it with a hammer to shape it. He was sweating from both the work and standing near a fire, his expression one of concentration.

“Lucian!” Merlin said happily. The man looked up, smiling and putting his work to the side.

“Merlin – and I see you've brought Freya, too. What brings you to the forge?” he asked, coming over.

“I brought Arthur to see it. I figured it would be something he would be interested in, being a knight and all.” Merlin grinned, gesturing to Arthur. Arthur was standing tall and with dignity, hands behind his back.

“So you're the one everyone's been talking about,” Lucian said, turning to Arthur. “Your arrival caused quite a stir yesterday.”

“So I have heard,” Arthur said. He glanced behind Lucian. He could see the half-finished swords lined up against the wall.

“I guess I should give you the tour, then?” Lucian grinned, turning around. “There's not much to see; if you've seen one forge you've seen them all, really. At least, that's what my father and mother say. You be the judge. Anyways...” He continued on, showing the group around the forge. It was more for Arthur's benefit, since Merlin and Freya had been there plenty of times.

Arthur listened. Lucian  was right about this forge being similar to all the others, but he was interested none the less. He was introduced to a young woman with the same deep red hair as Lucian, who was working on fixing a belt, supposedly she was Camilla. She smiled and held out her hand.

“It's a pleasure to meet you, Arthur,” she said with a smile. Arthur smiled back, shaking her hand.

“Likewise, Camilla. I suppose you're the one who works with the leather?” he asked. She nodded.

“Mostly. I can make swords and shields as well, but I like the feel of leather the most,” she explained. Arthur nodded, noticing the drawings on a nearby desk. He moved to look at them. They appeared to be designs for swords.

“Who did these?” he asked, picking one up. It looked like it would be a fine sword if they ever completed it. He couldn't read the runes that were to be engraved in it, but they were a nice touch.

“My mother. She designs everything,” Lucian said proudly. Arthur nodded.

“She's talented. These are fine designs,” he complimented.

“Thank you. I work very hard on them,” a voice said behind them. The trio turned to see an older redheaded woman. Freya ran over to hug her.

“Aunt Olivia!” she said. Olivia smiled and lowered herself to Freya's height, hugging the child back.

“Hello, Freya. It's lovely to see you. Are you out for a walk with your brother?” she asked. Freya nodded.

“I wanted to go out with Merlin and Arthur!” she said happily. Olivia let go of Freya, going to face Arthur.

“You must be Arthur, the Once and Future King,” she said. She gave a small bow. “Kilgharrah speaks highly of you and your destiny.”

Arthur frowned slightly. He still wasn't completely sure about this destiny business. He was coming to like the dragonlords and the dragons now that he had seen for himself how peaceful they were; however, it didn't mean he was all for magic yet.

“I suppose he does,” Arthur said. There was a moment of awkward silence before Merlin spoke up.

“Is Giles in? Maybe he'd be willing to spar with Arthur while we pass the time? I'd do it myself, but you know how useless I am with a sword,” Merlin said. Olivia chuckled at the memories of Merlin attempting to fight.

“He just left for the training grounds, actually. You should go catch up to him. I'm sure he'd love to spar,” Olivia said with a nod. “I assure you Arthur, Giles is a far better partner than Merlin would be,” she finished with a smirk. Merlin looked slightly embarrassed.

“It's true. Father has given up on my ever being good with a sword. I usually help Elizabeth in the infirmary instead. I'm good with medicine, just not with healing spells,” Merlin explained. Arthur looked somewhat amused. He had to admit that he wasn't surprised that Merlin wasn't the best with a sword. He was far too thin, and he didn't have the muscles that one needed to wield a sword. The mention of Merlin's interests did give him an idea, however.

“When we go to Camelot...I think I have just the job for you. Our court physician is getting old, he could use some help. You could be his apprentice. His name is Gaius, he's very kind and wise. I think you'd get along with him,” Arthur said. Merlin considered this. He did like the healing arts, even if he hated how he struggled with the spell work. Working with a physician would probably help with homesickness as well, as he would be doing something he was familiar with. That would be nice.

“Yeah, I think I'd like that,” he agreed. He smiled at the Urry family. “Thank you for having us. We will speak later,” he said as they went to leave.

“You're always welcome, Merlin,” Olivia smiled.

\--

They made their way to the training grounds, Freya skipping beside them. When they arrived, two men were already sparring. Arthur took a guess that Giles was the one who had the red hair; it seemed to run in the family. There was a little girl with red hair watching them. She looked to be around Freya's age. The man that Giles was fighting  was tall with darker skin. Arthur was reminded of Guinevere.

“That's Giles and Alan. The little girl is the final Urry, Felicia,” Merlin whispered. Freya let go of her brother's hand, running down to meet the girl. They cheered when they saw each other and hugged. Merlin chuckled as he led Arthur down. “It looks like you might have two opponents.”

Giles and Alan stopped their fight when Arthur and Merlin came over. Merlin waved.

“Hello!” he said cheerfully. “Don't stop on our account. I'm sure Arthur would love to see a fight. Maybe one of you could show him how it's done after?” Merlin smirked. Arthur narrowed his eyes at him.

“I have been trained with the sword since I was old enough to hold one. I know how to fight, Merlin,” he said. Giles and Alan laughed.

“So have we. Come on, why don't you show me how a knight of Camelot fights. It'll probably be more of a challenge than Giles here,” Alan said. Giles gently shoved him.

“Excuse me, I'm a damn good sword fighter. If you're going to be like that, I hope he knocks you on your arse.” Giles chuckled, getting out of the ring. He held his sword out to Arthur. “Come on, let's see if you can beat Alan. No magic, we promise.”

Arthur Pendragon was not one to back down from a challenge. He took the sword and got in the ring, swinging it a few times to get used to the feel. It was most likely one of the training swords Merlin had mentioned. The dragonlords probably took all the enchanted ones.

The two men began to spar. Arthur had to admit, Alan was good. He was quick on his feet and knew exactly where and when to attack and block. He wouldn't mind considering him for a knight some day. His thoughts moved to the fact he was willing to consider a sorcerer for a knight. He had done so without even thinking.

Letting his mind wander would be his downfall. Alan managed to disarm him, kicking Arthur down onto his back and holding his sword to his chest  with a smug grin.

“I think that means I've won,” he said.

Arthur was embarrassed that he let himself be defeated so easily, but he nodded, taking Alan's hand when it was offered.

“You are good with a sword and a worthy opponent. I only regret that I dropped my guard. I hope we can practice more in the next few weeks,” Arthur said. Being trapped here for a few weeks was starting to sound less terrible now that he knew there was something he enjoyed.

Arthur jumped slightly and looked up as Kilgharrah's voice echoed through the mountains, speaking a language he didn't understand, though it was similar to the language Balinor had spoken that morning. Everyone else stopped to listen.

“They're back already? I hope everything is okay.” Giles frowned.

“Was that the dragon tongue?” Arthur asked. Giles nodded.

“Yes, he summoned us all in the valley for a meeting. Let's go,” he said. The dragon kin all nodded in agreement. Arthur began to follow, but stopped.

“Merlin, shouldn't we get your mother?” he asked. Merlin smiled.

“It's okay, Father has been teaching her the dragon tongue, especially Kilgharrah's summons. She married into our clan, so she's one of us now. She'll meet us there,” he reassured Arthur. Arthur nodded, choosing to trust Merlin on this.

\---

They made their way towards the valley, the dragons flying past them. The valley was crowded with the dragon kin, while the dragons rested on the mountainside. Sure enough, Hunith arrived with Rowena shortly after they did, looking concerned.

Arthur's eyes moved to the group standing in front of Kilgharrah and Iantha. If he counted correctly, there were fourteen men. Merlin had told him of fifteen clans, but also mentioned that his friend had left, so as it was everyone seemed to be accounted for. That was a good sign. He recognized Cyr from that morning,  speaking to the great dragon. Once everyone had arrived, Kilgharrah addressed the crowd.

“The dragonlords have brought us good news. Arthur Pendragon told us that there was a griffin in the area. The dragonlords left earlier to hunt it down. Not only have they all returned safely, but they have brought news of their success. The griffin is no more.” Kilgharrah's voice boomed. Everyone began to clap, and some cheered.

“You can thank Arnold for the final blow that ended its life. We now have nothing to fear,” Kilgharrah added. The man who must have been Arnold smiled meekly, giving a small bow of his head.

Arthur watched as the families were reunited, Freya running to Balinor when she saw him. He lowered himself so she could hop onto his back, bringing her over to his family. Arthur sneaked away when they weren't looking, going over to Arnold.

“Pardon my interruption, I just wanted to thank you for bringing down the griffin,” Arthur said. “The creature killed many of my men and could have been a huge danger to my people. You have my gratitude.”

The family stopped to stare at him. It looked like Arnold had a wife and a young daughter...no son yet, but his wife was with child. There was an elderly woman with them as well. She must be his mother. There was some silence before Arnold spoke up.

“You're welcome, sire,” he said. “Um, may I introduce you to my family? This is my wife, Juliana, and my daughter, Matilda, as well as my mother, Elizabeth.” Arthur perked up at the last name.

“Elizabeth...are you the one who works in the infirmary? Merlin mentioned you. He said he works with you,” he said with a smile. Elizabeth nodded.

“Oh yes! He's one of my best students. If only he could master healing spells though...” She trailed off. Arthur chuckled.

“He did mention he wasn't so good with those,” he said. Hearing Elizabeth speak fondly of the young warlock was a good sign. He would do very well with Gaius. He looked up when he heard someone calling his name.

“Arthur! There you are! You shouldn't wander off!” Merlin frowned. His frown quickly faded when he saw the Montgomory's.

“Hello! I hope this prat hasn't been bothering you. I'm sorry, he got away from us in all the chaos,” he said. Arnold chuckled. He was such a meek and quiet man, Arthur was somewhat surprised that he was the one who brought down the griffin.

“It's no trouble, Merlin. He wanted to thank me for killing the griffin,” he said.

“See Merlin, I was being polite. I do know how to do that you know,” Arthur scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“I'll believe it when I see it. Come on, Father wants to go home. Mother said dinner is ready and he is starving.” Merlin smirked. Arthur nodded, turning back to the Montgomory family.

“It was a pleasure meeting you all. Have a good night,” he said. Merlin gave his own small bow before they left, returning to the rest of Merlin's family.

\---

When they returned back to the cave, Hunith went to serve out the stew. Balinor put Freya down, telling her to go wash up for dinner. Once the child was gone, Arthur approached him.

“You mentioned my mother during our argument earlier. You said that you could see her in me...did you know her?” he asked. Balinor's expression saddened as he nodded.

“I did. My father was often in court meetings, so I explored the castle. I met her when she was living there, engaged to your father. Ygraine was very kind and patient. So unlike your father,” he said.

“My father rarely speaks of her. He says that magic killed her, that's why he started the purge and the ban on magic,” Arthur said. Balinor took a deep breath.

“That is partially true. Magic was the cause, but there is more to the story than I suspect your father is telling you. I will tell you one day, when you are ready,” Balinor said. Arthur frowned.

“Tell me when I'm ready? I want to know now! She is my mother, I deserve to know about her!” he snapped. Balinor held up a hand.

“You will. I give you my word that you will hear the story one day. You have already heard and seen a lot today. No doubt these things went against everything you were taught. You need some time,” Balinor insisted before walking away.

\---

Arthur didn't speak to anyone during dinner. Instead he sat there and frowned as the family happily chatted around him. He ignored them for the rest of the night, until it was time for bed. Now that he was awake for it, he could see that Hunith was sharing the large mat with her mother in law while Merlin slept with his father. Freya kept her own bed, leaving Merlin's for Arthur. He was in such a foul mood that he didn't really care about stealing Merlin's bed as he crawled into it after changing into some sleeping clothes. No doubt they were Balinor's.

\---

He had a routine the next few weeks. He would wake up, have breakfast, then Merlin would teach him things and introduce him to more people. Sometimes they ate lunch outside, other days they returned to the cave. Arthur would spar with Giles and Alan most afternoons while Merlin went to Elizabeth for lessons. It was a simple but peaceful life, and Arthur found himself quickly enjoying it.

He was starting to fully accept magic as well. He had always thought that there were some people who weren't evil, such as the druids. Whenever he saw the dragon kin using their magic it was for good things. They would use it to help with chores, mostly. Occasionally they would practice offensive spells, but those were meant for defense in case of attack. They weren't supposed to go out and attack people with them. He would watch the dragons and the dragon kin play together. Even Merlin wrestled with Eumelia from time to time. She was small, but she could put up a fight.

He was used to seeing her in the mornings as well. He had woken up the first night she had wandered into the cave. His panic that an animal had wandered in woke the Ambrosius family. He felt guilty when Merlin created a ball of light and revealed a very confused baby dragon.

“Oh no, be very afraid of the baby dragon. Careful Arthur, she might cuddle you to death,” Merlin taunted. Arthur glared at him.

“Merlin, he's not used to anything wandering into his room at night, much less a dragon. Be nice,” Rowena scolded her grandson. Eumelia finally started to move again, going to crawl into the space between Balinor and Merlin. Hunith laughed.

“Ah, of course. Her favourite spot,” she said. “She is quite attached to you, Balinor.”

“Of course she loves Papa best! He hatched her! Didn't Heliodoros sleep with grandfather a lot when he was a baby?” Freya shouted, now wide awake. “Maybe tomorrow night she'll come and sleep with me!”

Rowena laughed at the memory.

“Oh yes, Heliodoros always came to us. It drove your grandfather crazy.” Rowena smiled. “But for now, we should all go back to sleep now that we know there is no danger. It's late.”

“Yeah, now that Arthur can sleep knowing a vicious animal hasn't wandered in, only a baby looking for cuddles,” Merlin said, crawling under the blankets again.

Arthur ignored him, going to lay down himself as the ball of light disappeared and the cave was dark once more.

\---

Eumelia's visits woke him up the first few times, but he soon learned to sleep  through them. He only knew the dragon came the night before by her presence in the cave. Some mornings she was cuddled up with Freya. Sometimes she would sleep with Hunith and Rowena. It always amused him whenever she slept with Merlin and Balinor. The baby dragon was always found in cute spots whenever she slept with the women, but she was a cheeky little thing whenever it came to her dragonlord. Sure, there were days where she was sleeping between the two men, but there were other days she was laying on Balinor's chest or even his face. Arthur couldn't hold back his laughter whenever Balinor woke up to a dragon on his face, grumbling as he pushed her off. She looked perfectly pleased with herself.

It was all becoming so normal, but he couldn’t pinpoint the moment that happened.

\---

He was lying awake in the early morning, a month after he had arrived. He’d had a little bit of sleep before, but something had woken  him up and he hadn't been able to fall back asleep. He let his mind wander, going over the events of the past few weeks. He was confident that magic was not inherently evil. The dragon kin were warlocks and witches. They had been born with magic. Some of these people were elderly and it hadn't corrupted them. It wasn't the magic that made people evil, it was the people themselves. Giles had one explained that magic was like a sword. It was something that could be used, but you could use your sword to protect and help, or you could use it to murder and destroy. That made sense to him.

He frowned as he thought of other events. Balinor still hadn't told him the story of how his mother had died. Both he and Rowena had shared some happy memories of Ygraine, but neither spoke of her death. Whenever Arthur asked, Balinor only repeated that he would tell him when Arthur was ready.

He tossed and turned for a little longer before deciding to get up. The family had been good to him these past four weeks, no matter what he did. He wanted to repay them. He looked to the entrance of the cave. There was some light shining through the opening. Balinor usually left around this time on days where he went hunting.

That's what he would do. Arthur got out of bed, quietly fumbling around for his clothes. He moved closer to the entrance to get more light as he quickly changed into them. Now that he was dressed, the next step would be acquiring Balinor's crossbow. He knew he kept it in the same cabinet as his sword. He moved over to the cabinet, going to open it. It wouldn't budge. Locked, of course it would be locked. The man wouldn't want his children to get to the weapons. Merlin was older now of course, but Freya was still young.

Arthur pulled on the door again. To his surprise, it opened. The door must have been stuck and Balinor was actually an idiot. Arthur opened both doors, reaching in and grabbing the crossbow and some extra bolts. He shut the doors carefully and turned around, colliding with Balinor.

He hadn't even heard the dragonlord get up. Despite his size, the man was surprisingly stealthy. Arthur was about to cry out in surprise, but Balinor quickly put a hand over his mouth, shushing him.

“I swear I'm not doing anything bad. I was going to hunt. It was supposed to be a surprise,” Arthur quickly whispered when Balinor took his hand away. “You really should lock that cabinet you know, Freya could get into it,” he added. Balinor rolled his eyes.

“It is locked. I unlocked it for you. I wanted to see what you would do,” he said. Ah, it was locked and unlocked with a spell then. That really shouldn't have been a surprise. “Go wait by the entrance. I'm coming with you. We need to talk.” Balinor sighed, summoning up a ball of light and heading to his wardrobe.

Arthur did as he was told, not wanting to be any more trouble this early in the morning. Balinor joined him a few minutes later, once he was dressed. He gestured for Arthur to follow him. Arthur did so, still carrying the crossbow and quiver with extra bolts. Balinor led him into the forest. It was nice this early in the morning. He could hear that the wildlife was starting to wake as well. Now would be an excellent time for hunting.

“I really was going to hunt. I couldn't get back to sleep and thought it would be a nice thing to do for your family,” Arthur finally said.

“I believe you. You need to work on your stealth, though. Eumelia does a better job moving around than you do,” Balinor said with a hint of a smile.

“Eumelia can also see in the dark. I think I did very well considering I couldn't see and couldn't summon up any fancy magical lights to guide my way.” He frowned. Despite his frown, he was actually glad that the man was joking around with him. It was a huge difference than how he was weeks ago.

“I suppose that's a fair argument. Come, I want to see if you can hunt,” Balinor said, leading him further into the forest. Arthur was about to ask what the man wanted to talk about but decided against it. He might as well enjoy the moment.

Arthur was an excellent hunter. He was Camelot's best. The two men moved through the forest silently, Balinor holding out an arm to stop him when he spotted a deer. Arthur nodded to him, loading up the crossbow and taking aim.

He let the arrow fly.

\---

They were smiling as they carried the deer between them. The family would eat well tonight.

Arthur didn't even need to ask what Balinor wanted to talk about.

“I believe you're ready to hear about your mother's death,” he said as his smile faded away. Arthur's own smile disappeared as well.

“You're finally going to tell me?” he asked.

“Yes. I've been watching you, Arthur. I've been watching as you've learned about magic, learned our ways and the way you've treated my people. I wanted you to learn more about magic before I told you this story,” Balinor replied. Arthur nodded, bracing himself.

“Your mother loved your father, and he loved her...but she was unable to conceive. Uther wanted an heir, so he made a deal with his court sorcerer. Her name was Nimueh, and she was a high priestess of the old religion. She granted your father's wish. Ygraine became pregnant with the help of Nimueh's magic. But such magic comes at a price. Nimueh told your father this before. To create a life, one must be taken in return to keep the balance. He still insisted that she use her magic, no matter the cost,” Balinor said. He paused, looking to Arthur.

Arthur could only stare at him with wide eyes as he stopped in his tracks. His father had used magic? He only existed because of magic? Balinor was quiet, letting this all sink in.

“Her life was the one that was taken,” Arthur finally said. Balinor nodded.

“It was. I believe she knew she would be the life as well. Your father executed a thief shortly before you were born, thinking that the old religion would accept that as the sacrifice. Her death drove him mad. Nimueh fled. He blamed the magic for it all. It was the magic that killed her, but he knew the cost. It was his own guilt that caused him to create the laws against magic. He announced them a week after your birth. My people were the lucky ones. Kilgharrah has the gift of foresight and warned us all that we needed to run. We were already on our way to the mountains when your father started the purge. It didn't matter how old the person was. He burned and drowned people of all ages, even children. We heard the stories when we dared to venture out. They had even reached Essetir. We knew it wasn't safe for our kind anymore. We've lived in these mountains ever since. I waited to tell you...I needed you to understand that not all magic was evil, that there are good people who use it.” Balinor finished his story.

Arthur knew of the executions. His father hadn't kept it a secret that he had killed children for having magic. He had always reassured Arthur that magic was evil and it would corrupt the children, so he was saving them from that life. Now Arthur knew otherwise. Magic didn't corrupt. His father was nothing but a murderer. Perhaps he hadn't known that Ygraine’s would be the life that would be taken, but he still put her at risk.

He looked up when he felt Balinor's hand on his shoulder. He realized there were tears running down his face. His father would be ashamed to see him like this; he always said crying was a sign of weakness.

Then again, his father had said a lot of things.

His father had fed him so many lies. Other than this one, the one that Arthur despised the most was the claim that sorcerers didn't care for their families. He had spent the last four weeks living among sorcerers. He could see the other families interacting. He watched the Ambrosius family together. Balinor was more loving and attentive to his children than Uther had ever been to him. The so-called evil sorcerers had become his friends. He had always wondered what it was like to have a best friend, and now he knew. He could call Merlin his best friend.

“I don't want to return to Camelot. How can I face him after learning all this? After seeing through all the lies he's told me?” Arthur asked, letting his tears fall as he dropped the deer.

“You won't be alone. You'll have Merlin by your side. Weeks ago I didn't trust you any where near my family. Now I trust you with my son's life. You have to return to Camelot so you can right all the wrongs. You are destined to be the greatest king Albion has ever known. Camelot needs you,” Balinor insisted. “We need you,” he finished softly.

Yes, he needed to save Camelot from his father's rule. There wasn't any pressure. He wiped his eyes, picking up the deer.

“We should return home. Everyone will probably think you've finally dragged me off to murder me,” Arthur said with a weak laugh, trying to mask his feelings with an attempt at humour. Balinor didn't laugh, but he did nod.

“Let's go, then,” he said. He would need to give the prince some space, he understood that.

\---

The rest of their walk was in silence. Everyone was up when they returned to the cave. Both Arthur and Balinor put on smiles for them, holding up the deer triumphantly. Balinor praised Arthur for his hunting skills as he took it from the young man, going to put it on the side table so he could prepare it after breakfast.

Arthur ate in silence, listening to the family talk. He glanced at Merlin, noticing that the warlock wasn't joining in on the conversation either. Instead he was watching Arthur closely. He could probably tell that something was wrong.

Merlin approached Arthur after breakfast.

“Come on, let's go out,” he said, forcing his own smile. Arthur nodded, going to follow.

\---

Arthur  didn't need Merlin to guide him around the mountains anymore. He knew the way around. He had even gone out on his own after a few weeks of living in them. Yet now he walked silently by Merlin’s side, letting the his friend lead him.

Merlin ended up leading him to a more secluded spot along the river, sitting on the rocks.

“You've been upset,” he said. Arthur sighed. Merlin always saw right through him.

“Your father told me about my mother today, about what happened to her,” he said. Merlin nodded. He knew the story behind the Purge. It had hurt to keep it from Arthur, but his father had asked him to and he didn't want to disobey him. He could understand the man's reasons.

“I was born of magic. You knew, didn't you? You knew my father did all of this...why didn't you tell me?” Arthur asked. He could feel the tears threatening to fall again. He could guess why Merlin never told him, but he still felt betrayed.

“I did. We've all been raised with the story of how the purge began. I didn't tell you because father asked me not to. I understood why, but I am sorry. I did hate keeping it from you,” Merlin said. Arthur just glared at him.

They sat in silence for some time before Arthur spoke again.

“Do you think they'll let me return to Camelot? Are you sure you want to come with me?” he asked. He so wanted Merlin to come with him. Perhaps it was because their destinies were intertwined, but Arthur felt they shared a special bond. He would miss the dragon heir if he stayed behind. However, he understood why Merlin wouldn't want to come. This was where he grew up. This was where his family was.

“Only if I can come back to visit once and awhile. We're only a day's ride from Camelot after all,” Merlin finally said with a small smile. Arthur returned the smile.

“Of course. I can say you went to visit your village. I'm sure Gaius will understand. He doesn't need to know where you're really from,” Arthur said.

They had decided on their story. Arthur would bring Merlin back, saying that he and his knights were attacked. He was the only survivor. Merlin found him and nursed him back to health, and the past month had all been Arthur recovering from his wound. In return for saving his life, Arthur had brought Merlin back to Camelot in the hopes that he could become Gaius' apprentice and perfect his skills. Uther would fall for it: his heir's life was important. If Gaius was to look him over, Merlin was going to cast a quick spell to make it look like Arthur had a scar.

“Gaius will understand. Arthur...I promise I haven't kept this from you. Mother only told me last night. She figured it out from your stories but...Gaius is my uncle,” Merlin said.

Arthur was silent. Thinking about it, he could vaguely remember Gaius mentioning a sister in Essetir. That sister must have been Hunith.

“He has magic, Arthur. He studied it when he was younger. He probably doesn't use it now, but he'll understand. Mother will write him a letter explaining everything,” Merlin added.

“I see. This is a perfect arrangement then. Now I don't need to worry about him turning you down,” Arthur said with a small smile. It was somewhat reassuring to know that there was someone else who could help with all this magic stuff in Camelot, even if they had to do it all in secret.

Both of them looked up when they heard a dragon approaching. Heliodoros landed nearby.

“Finally! Merlin, your father is looking for you. He wants you to come home now. No one is hurt, he says he wants to talk,” the dragon said. Merlin stood up.

“Alright. We're coming. Thank you, Heliodoros,” he said with a smile. The dragon gave a small nod before flying off. Merlin turned to Arthur and held out his hand.

“Best not to keep him waiting,” he said.

\---

They made it back to the Ambrosius cave fairly quickly. Despite the fact that Heliodoros had told them that no one was hurt, Merlin was still worried. He was relieved to find his family sitting at the table, unharmed. Balinor smiled at the duo when they came in.

“Ah, Heliodoros found you. Good. Come, sit,” he said. Merlin and Arthur did so, both clearly confused.

“I have been speaking with Kilgharrah. He believes that it's time for you two to return to Camelot. I spoke with your mother and grandmother. They agree, as do I,” Balinor said.

Merlin and Arthur were silent. They both knew this day would come. Arthur had to admit, now that he had gotten over the rage at his father he was feeling a bit homesick. He missed Morgana, his father's ward. He also missed the knights who had stayed behind. He also missed Morgana's maidservant, Guinevere. Returning home was somewhat of an appealing idea. He wouldn't mind it. He looked to Merlin. He was the one who would be leaving his home.

Merlin didn't know what to say. He had spent the past few weeks preparing himself for the day he would have to leave, but now that it was here...he didn't know how he felt. He was somewhat excited at the prospect of a new life, but that required him to leave his family and friends behind. Arthur had said he could visit, but he knew he would still miss them so much. This was the only life he knew.

“I can return for you in a few weeks, if you're not ready,” Arthur said softly. Merlin shook his head.

“No. I have to go with you. This is my destiny. If I don't, I'll never want to leave and you won't be able to create Albion. B...besides. You said I can come back to visit, right? It will be okay. I'll still have the chance to see everyone once and awhile,” Merlin said.

Freya moved from her seat, going to hug her brother and burying her face into his tunic, starting to sob.

“I don't want you to go...I'll miss you too much!” she sobbed. Merlin moved her so she was on his lap.

“I'll miss you too, Freya, but I have to leave. We knew this was going to happen. I promise I'll bring you something from Camelot when I come back to visit. If you focus on your studies it will go by so fast you won't even notice I'm gone,” he said, rubbing his sister's back.

“We'll all miss him, darling...but you must be brave. Merlin is being brave by leaving,” Hunith said. Arthur stood back so the family could have some time together.

“You are both very strong, Freya. This is not a goodbye forever, only for some time. Merlin will return to us. He needs to help Arthur unite the kingdoms. Soon you'll be living in Camelot with him, once magic is free once more,” Rowena insisted.

Freya continued to cry for a bi,t but she eventually moved away, sniffing.

“Promise me you'll come visit? And you'll bring me a present?” she said. Balinor laughed.

“That's my girl, focusing on the important things.” He smiled.

“Yes, I'll visit and I'll bring you a present every time. You'll be so spoiled.” Merlin laughed.

“Will you bring Arthur? I'll miss him too,” Freya said, looking at the prince. Arthur bit the inside of his lip as the family turned to look at him.

“I might not be able to come every time; I have many duties back in Camelot as the Crown Prince. But yes, I will come with him sometimes. I've grown rather fond of this place. I think I'll miss too much not to visit.” He nodded. That seemed to please the girl.

“Good,” she said.

“You should leave tomorrow morning. There's a village an hour's walk away. Albin said he'll give you some swords that you can trade for horses.” Balinor explained as Arthur sat down again.

“I'll pack you something for lunch. You'll love it.” Hunith smiled.

“Everyone will be there to say goodbye, of course,” Rowena added. Merlin nodded, smiling.

“Of course,” he said.

\---

They spent the rest of the day in the cave. Merlin wanted to spend it with his family. Arthur didn't mind; in a way the Ambrosius family had become a second family to him as well. Hunith fussed over his well-being as much as she did with that of her own children. Rowena would sit and talk to him, telling him stories of the old days while sewing him new outfits to wear. Sometimes she would enchant the fire to illustrate these stories. Even Balinor was friendly to Arthur now.

They had a simple lunch, but Hunith made venison stew for supper from the deer Arthur had killed earlier. After dinner, Balinor pulled Arthur aside.

“Arthur. I want you to come with me. My people have one last gift to give you,” he said. Arthur nodded.

Balinor led Arthur down to the valley. He noticed the rest of the family was following. Everyone else seemed to be waiting for their arrival as well. Kilgharrah was in his usual place beside Iantha. This time Heliodoros was beside her while Eumelia was flying around. She settled down when she saw Arthur and the Ambrosius family arrive. Kilgharrah turned his large head towards them, and everyone else followed. They parted as Balinor led Arthur up to the ledge, so everyone could see. Albin was waiting there with a wrapped bundle in his arms.

“Arthur Pendragon, you have spent the last few weeks living among us and learning our ways. You have shown humility, wisdom, and kindness. This is a hint of things to come, of the king you will be. As the Once and Future King, we have chosen to give you a sacred gift that will help you on your quest and help protect you when Emrys is not near,” Kilgharrah started. Albin stepped forward, unwrapping the bundle and revealing a sword.

Arthur gasped. He recognized that sword. It was the design he had seen many weeks ago. It wasn't hard to forget it. Had they been planning this the whole time?

“It's beautiful...” he said as he took the sword when Albin held it out to him

“The inscriptions read 'Take me up' and 'Cast me away'. You are never to let anyone else wield this sword. It is a sacred treasure of the dragon kin. It can cause great evil in the wrong hands. By accepting this sword you are agreeing to these terms. Do you agree, Arthur Pendragon? Do you swear to cherish and protect this gift?” Kilgharrah said. Arthur nodded.

“I do so swear,” he said.

“Then there is one last thing you need to do. It must be forged in dragon's breath,” Kilgharrah said. “Hold the sword up. I will do the rest.”

Arthur nodded, doing as the dragon asked. The sword floated out of his hand and hovered above them. Kilgharrah took a deep breath, breathing fire over the sword. Once he was finished, the sword began to lower. Arthur held out his hand once more, taking it once it was close enough. Everyone began to clap.

“This sword will be known as Excalibur. It is yours. May you lead us into an era of peace with Emrys at your side, Once and Future King,” Kilgharrah bellowed.

Arthur lowered the sword, smiling as he looked it over, his fingers tracing the inscriptions.

“I will wield it with honour,” Arthur said. “Thank you...Thank you so much.”

\---

The celebrations lasted for another hour before the Ambrosius family left for home. Arthur was able to thank Albin personally and compliment his craftsmanship, and to compliment Olivia on her design.

Balinor let Arthur put Excalibur in the cabinet for safekeeping. They had packed their things earlier that afternoon, so they were ready to leave in the morning. The family curled up by the fire pit near the kitchen area, just sitting and talking. A one point Balinor carried Freya off to bed. She had fallen asleep in her brother's lap.

They all went to bed themselves soon enough. Eumelia joined them, crawling into the cave and snuggling up with Merlin.

Tomorrow would be a long day.

\---

Morning came far too quickly. They ate breakfast like they did every morning, happily chatting about the events of the previous day. Freya had begged Arthur to let her see Excalibur up close. He chuckled, telling her that she could see it before he left.

Hunith was fussing over the boys as they got ready to leave.

“Did you pack enough clothes? Do you have some things so you can carve? I know you love to do that. Make sure you packed enough clothes, Merlin. I don't want you to run out! And Arthur, you packed all of your clothes as well, yes? Make sure you didn't forget anything. It's going to be a long ride. Arthur, don't forget Excalibur! Oh, I also packed your lunch and some water. Keep it safe and don't forget to rest. I don't want you two getting too tired before you get to Camelot,” she said. Merlin was groaning, but Arthur was enjoying every minute of it.

They were soon ready to leave, bags on their backs and Excalibur strapped to Arthur's side. They stood side by side, Merlin's family smiling at them.

“Well, this is it. We're meeting in the valley. Everyone wants to say goodbye,” Balinor said.

“Oh, I'll miss you both. Come back to visit now, okay?” Rowena smiled. Hunith stepped forward, a folded piece of parchment in her hand.

“Merlin, give this to your uncle when you meet him. It explains everything,” she said. Merlin nodded and took it, putting it in his bag.

“Come, we should be off now. Everyone will be waiting,” Balinor said with a sad smile, ushering his family out of the cave. Merlin stayed back for a moment, looking over the place he had called home for the last eighteen years. He took a deep breath before turning and joining his family.

\---

The valley was full of people and dragons, just as it had been the night before. To Arthur and Merlin's surprise, Albin had brought two  horses with him.

“I left before dawn this morning. I thought it would save you some time,” he said as he brought them to the prince and warlock

“Albin, thank you so much!” Merlin said, going to pet his horse. They were extremely calm, despite all the noise and the dragons. Albin had chosen well.

The duo said their goodbyes. Arthur made sure to say goodbye to Giles and Alan. He would call them his friends as well. They weren't as close as he and Merlin were, but they were friends all the same.

“Train hard, princey. You'll have to face both of us when you come back,” Alan said with a smirk. Arthur smirked as well

“I could  say the same for you. Train hard if you want to keep up.”

Before he left, he showed Freya Excalibur as he had promised. He wanted to wait until they were outside so she could see it in the light. She gasped as he held it out for her to see.

“It's so pretty! It's the prettiest sword I've ever seen!” she cried.

“A sword fit for a king,” Balinor agreed. He looked up at the sky. “You should be on your way. You should reach Camelot before nightfall, now that you don't have to detour for the horses.”

Sadness came over the group. Merlin hugged his family tightly, Freya starting to cry now that her brother was actually leaving. Hunith and Rowena came over to give Arthur hugs as well. Despite the past month, he was surprised, but he returned them. As Merlin got on his horse, Balinor came over to Arthur, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Take care of my son, Arthur. He's never been to a village before, much less a city as big as Camelot. He'll need you, and he might need some help making friends. Remember, you are always welcome here,” he said with a smile.

“Thank you. I will never forget your hospitality. Don't worry about Merlin, I'll keep an eye on him. I'm sure he'll find many friends on his own. He has a way of winning people over,” Arthur replied. Balinor laughed.

“That is true. Either way, I am trusting you with his life. Please protect him,” he said.

“Of course. You have my word,” Arthur said with a nod before going to get on his own horse.

After a few more goodbyes, they were off.  
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> Ω δρακον, έάω μαλερός σοφόνους φθέγγομαι τείδε άναδικέω! - O dragon, permit the appeal for an audience to speak here, fierce, wise-minded one.


	3. Camelot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin arrives in Camelot, though there is an unwanted surprise waiting for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goodness! I'm so sorry this took so long! I was so focused on finishing up Collars and Crowns, but now that I'm finished with that I'm planning to get at least two chapters out before I post the sequel story to C&C. Thank you so much for your patience! 
> 
> Warning: minor character death

The journey to Camelot was uneventful. Arthur was thankful for that. They stopped around noon for lunch by a small stream, letting the horses drink and graze on the grass.

“Do you think people will like me?” Merlin asked. He hadn't been worried about such things when they left, but now that they were on their way he was starting to feel it.

“Please, Merlin. You won over all fifteen dragonlord clans, plus the dragons. I've seen how they treat you. They love you. You'll be fine.” Arthur rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, but they're my kin. The people in Camelot, they're strangers.” Merlin frowned. Arthur sighed. That was true.

“Well, I think you'll get along with Guinevere. She is Morgana's maidservant. She has a kind heart. She's a seamstress like your grandmother, actually. Her father is a talented blacksmith as well. I'm sure you'll be great friends. There is one of my knights, his name is Leon. We trained together and were knighted together. He was unable to make this trip and I'm grateful for that. I can see you worming your way into his heart. Ah...Morgana will probably like you as well. I should warn you though, she can be a terror. Don't let her get away with everything. She will test your limits,” Arthur explained. Merlin nodded, smiling as Arthur spoke of the people he knew.

“What is my uncle like? My mother has told me stories, but she hasn't seen him for over twenty years,” he said. Arthur smiled.

“Gaius is one of the wisest men in Camelot. Everyone comes to him for help, and he helps every single one. He cares for everyone, and works very hard. He may be an old man but you'll have to work just as hard to keep up,” Arthur smirked. Merlin nodded.

“I will. I won't let him down,” he insisted, finishing off his food.

“I doubt you will. Elizabeth always spoke highly of you. Make her proud,” Arthur grinned, getting up. He had finished his food a long time ago. “We should go. I recognize this place. We're still a few hours away, but we've made good time.”

Merlin nodded, getting up as well and dusting himself off. They readied the horses before they were off once more.

\---

Arthur made sure to watch Merlin's reaction when Camelot came into view. The young warlock gasped, looking towards the city in awe. It looked so beautiful, despite the fact it was a dangerous place for him. The castle loomed over the rest of the city. It was unlike anything he ever imagined.

“Welcome to Camelot, Merlin,” Arthur said. The duo sped up, Arthur was eager to return home.

The guards at the city gates looked shocked to see him. They ran up to him.

“Sire? Is that really you? The King will be overjoyed! He has sent so many patrols out trying to find you, everyone has been so worried. In fact, a patrol is returning right now!” The one guard said, pointing in the opposite direction that they had come from. Arthur turned to look, squinting.

“Leon!” He cried when he recognized the knight leading the patrol. Leon gasped, breaking his horse into a run to greet his Prince. Arthur met him halfway.

“Arthur! You're alright! What happened?” Leon said.

“It's a long story. You will hear it when I report to my father. First, I want you to meet someone,” Arthur replied, leading Leon and the patrol back to a waiting Merlin.

Merlin had been standing back quietly, wanting to give Arthur some space. He smiled as he saw how happy everyone was to have their Prince back. He looked up when Arthur brought Leon over to him.

“Leon, this is Merlin. What I will tell you now is that I owe him my life. I brought him back with me, hoping that Gaius will take him on as an apprentice. He is a very talented physician already,” Arthur introduced. “Merlin, this is Sir Leon. I do believe I have told you about him.”

Merlin wasn't sure what to do when greeting a knight. He hadn't thought to ask, and now he was regretting it. He resorted to smiling, giving Leon a small bow.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Sir Leon. Prince Arthur has spoken highly of you,” Merlin said, putting on the act of a simple village boy.

“You are a hero. You have saved our Prince's life. For that, you will have Camelot's gratitude. Come, we must go to the castle, your father will want to know you're safe and meet the man who helped you,” Leon said. Arthur nodded.

“Of course,” he said, motioning for Merlin to follow.

The lower town was somewhat stressful. Merlin knew he would get used to it, but right now he wasn't used to so many people. It didn't help that his group was the center of attention. Everyone wanted to see their Prince. Merlin walked behind the group of knights, hoping no one would notice him. It seemed to work. There were a few curious glances his way, but people were more interested in Arthur.

Arthur and the knights trotted into the courtyard, heads held high. Uther was already waiting outside, someone had gone ahead and told him of his son's return. Arthur had to force a smile when he saw his father. He was glad to see him in a way, but he was also uncomfortable after all he had learned. He got off his horse, Uther putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Arthur, I've been so worried! When you didn't return, I sent patrols all over the land searching for you. They came across your knights but they were unable to find you. They brought back their bodies for a proper burial. Was it the dragonlords? Did they attack you? You had been so close to where we think they are...” Uther asked, frowning. Arthur was relieved to hear his men had been brought home. They deserved it, even if their quest had been misguided.

“It wasn't the dragonlords, father. It was some strange beast with a lion’s body and an eagles head. My men fought bravely, but they were slaughtered. None of us knew how to combat such a creature. I'm afraid we failed in our quest. We got no closer to the dragonlord's. I was wounded by the creature but managed to get away.” Arthur explained. Uther looked somewhat confused.

“Wounded? Yet you are fine now. Someone helped you then?” He said. Arthur nodded, smiling.

“Yes, I wandered towards a village that we had passed. There was a young man who lived outside of town. He found me and nursed me back to health. There was no way for me to send word, but I have been safe. He had been taking care of me until I was well again,” Arthur explained.

“Who is this man? We will send word to him. He shall be rewarded for assisting his Prince,” Uther said. Arthur's smile turned to a grin. He had built up the interest and Uther was in a very rewarding mood, so now it was time for the reveal.

“I have brought him with me, father. I was hoping to speak with Gaius about bringing him on as an apprentice. Merlin, come here,” Arthur said.

Merlin got off his horse, letting someone take the reins. He was nervous about meeting the King. He had only heard bad things about him. He had been raised to fear the man, all dragon kin children had. 

He took a deep breath. He would be living in Camelot now. He had to be brave, for his people's sake. He came forward, falling onto one knee in front of the King.

“Your Highness,” he said, praying his voice didn't reveal any of his fears. If it did, the King didn't say anything. Perhaps he dismissed it as nerves at Merlin being in his King's presence.

“You may rise, Merlin was it?” Uther started, waiting until Merlin stood up before continuing. “You have done a great service for me and for Camelot. You have saved my boy's life. A debt must be repaid. Arthur says you wish to become the court physician's apprentice? We will fetch him right away. You deserve such a reward for what you have done,” Uther praised, sending a servant to get Gaius.

Merlin held his smile as Uther went on. He had no idea that Merlin had done nothing, and he never would.

“I would, if he would allow it. I am from a small village, my family only has a few books. It would be an honour to study alongside the court physician of Camelot and perfect my skills. When the Prince offered...I had to come and take that chance,” Merlin said. At least that was somewhat one of the few truths they had spoken since they came here.

“I am sure he will allow it. He has been speaking of looking for an apprentice for some time,” Uther nodded.

Merlin continued to smile. He was hoping to avoid the King's attention as much as possible, but it felt like it was going to be impossible at the moment. He looked to the side of the courtyard when Uther and Arthur did. An elderly man with chin length white hair was hurrying towards them, long robes fluttering behind him.

“You called me for me, Sire?” The man said. 

Uther looked to Arthur, giving him a nod. He was the one who brought Merlin to them, he should be the one to introduce the two. The man had been so focused on his King, he hadn't noticed the Prince until he stepped forward.

“Arthur! They found you! Thank heavens, are you alright? What happened?” the man asked, assuming the Prince was the reason he was here. While Uther did want Gaius to look Arthur over, it was part of the reason. Arthur smiled.

“I'm fine, Gaius. We were attacked by some kind of creature and I was injured. I am fine now, thanks to someone I'd like to introduce you to. Gaius, this is Merlin. He found me and saved my life. He dealt with my injuries and nursed me back to health. I have brought him back in the hopes he can become your apprentice and perfect his skills,” Arthur smiled, gesturing to Merlin. Gaius turned to look at him. There was something familiar about the boy, specifically his eyes.

“If you would have me, of course. It would be an honour to study alongside the court physician of Camelot. My family only had a few books, I've learned through those and experience. My mother and father are physicians in our small village. I have been mentored by them my whole life, but our resources are nothing like Camelot's,” Merlin repeated his story with a small smile. This was it. Either Gaius would accept him or send him away.

Gaius thought it over. He did want an apprentice. He was getting old and having someone younger around would be extremely helpful, especially with delivering medicines around the lower town. However, there was something that felt off about the boy's story. He looked quite young for a start. There was also this strange aura the young man gave off. In the end his desire for an apprentice won out. He could ask Merlin some questions later. He appeared to be a nice enough boy and Arthur seemed to like him. He wouldn't have brought him back without a reason.

“I have wanted an apprentice for some time. I would be glad to take you in, Merlin,” Gaius said with a smile. Merlin's smile widened.

“Thank you so much, sir. I promise I won't let you down. I'll work very hard!” He insisted.

“Now that that is settled...Gaius, I would like you to check Arthur over. Arthur, come to the council chambers when Gaius is done. I would like to hear a report. I must tell everyone of your return, and plan a feast for tomorrow night in your honour,” Uther said. Merlin had momentarily forgotten the King was there.

“Of course, father. I will be there shortly,” Arthur smiled. Both him and Gaius bowed to the King, Merlin quickly giving a bow after a moment. Uther turned to leave.

Merlin glanced at Arthur with sympathy. He felt bad for him. If he had ever been missing for a month and presumed dead, he was positive his father would be overjoyed to see him and wouldn't be afraid to let everyone know. He would probably embrace him as well, not wanting to leave his son's side any time soon. Compared to how Balinor would react, Uther's reaction was very cold. Arthur had told Merlin about their relationship, but it was different seeing it in person. Arthur seemed to be able to read his mind.

“Far different than what you're used to, I know,” Arthur said. Gaius looked between the two young men.

“Come. Let's go back to my chambers. Tell me, Merlin. What village are you from?” Gaius asked. Merlin tensed up. They hadn't thought of that! Their story was flawless but they had forgotten one of the most important details.

“Uh...Ealdor,” Merlin said quickly, thinking of the village his mother grew up in. He mentally slapped himself. Gaius would know that village. Gaius raised an eyebrow.

“Ealdor? That is in Cendred's kingdom, and far from where we thought the dragonlord's were,” he said. There was definitely something very suspicious about Merlin.

Arthur would admit that he was partially at fault for not coming up with a village name, but he made a face at Merlin the moment he mentioned Ealdor. Merlin only stared back at him, giving him a look that said 'I'm sorry'.

“Gaius, let's just get back to your chambers. We'll explain everything there, but you must promise to not tell my father. Please,” Arthur begged. 

Gaius felt uncomfortable at the thought of hiding things from the King but it wouldn't be the first time he had, so he nodded. It was Arthur asking this of him, it was indeed important.

The group was quiet as they quickly came to Gaius' chambers. He opened the door for them, letting them in before closing it and locking it behind them. He sighed, facing the duo.

“Explain. And tell me the truth this time,” he said. He was still willing to hold up on his offer to let Merlin study with him, he just wanted to know the truth about the boy first.

“This letter, it will explain everything. It's from my mother. You know her. Her name is Hunith,” Merlin said softly, holding out some parchment.

Gaius gasped. He hadn't heard that name in two decades. He thought of his younger sister from time to time of course, but no one spoke of her. He had often wondered what happened to her. One day he had received a letter from her, saying she was going away and wouldn't be able to contact him anymore. 

He took the parchment but didn't open it, staring at Merlin in awe. No wonder he recognized him. Now that he was looking at the boy knowing all this, he could see his mother in him. He had Hunith's blue eyes.

“Hunith...is she well? She hasn't contacted me in twenty years,” he said. Merlin smiled slightly, nodding.

“She is very well,” he said. Gaius opened the parchment, but didn't read it yet.

“I suspect you are not really from Ealdor then?” He said. Merlin shook his head.

“I'm not...I'm...” He paused. He wanted to tell Gaius the truth, he would read about it in the letter, but now he was nervous.

“Gaius. What we're about to tell you, you can tell no one, not even my father. Hunith surely explained in the letter, but we will explain as well. I did find the dragonlords. The forest around the mountains is enchanted against outsiders, but I was allowed in. The creature attack was real. It was a griffin, but the dragonlords killed it later on. I collapsed due to my injuries. It was how Merlin found me. He ran back to his people. There was some arguing from what I hear, but they took me in. Merlin's father carried me back. If you were to examine me you will find no scar. I was healed with dragon's magic,” Arthur said, pausing so Gaius could take this information in. The old man stared at him with an expression that was a mix of surprise and horror.

“He has been living with my family for the past month. There is a dragon, his name is Kilgharrah. Some call him the great dragon. He was the one who convinced everyone to bring Arthur into the mountains and who healed him. I really have actually studied medicine most of my life, but he was the one who used the magic to heal Arthur. There is a prophecy from the druids that speaks of Emrys and the Once and Future King...” Merlin said.

“I have heard of such a prophecy. The druids cherish it,” Gaius said. Merlin nodded.

“Kilgharrah says that I am Emrys. My family has known since I was a baby. When Arthur arrived, he announced that Arthur is the Once and Future King. He said I had to travel to Camelot with him so we can fulfill our destiny,” Merlin finished.

“I have been living among the dragonlord's, learning of their ways and about magic. I have learned a lot...both about magic and about who I am, as well as about my mother,” Arthur said, “I have...learned that my father is not as truthful and noble as I once believed. Living with Merlin's family has opened my eyes. Magic is not evil. It is like a sword. A sword is a tool that can be used for good or for evil. The dragons and the dragonlords, they are good.”

Gaius was slowly processing this all. Arthur had clearly been through a lot the past month. He could remember the dragonlord's. He had been friends with a few of them. Instead of replying, he chose to look at his sister's letter, hoping it would somehow make sense of everything or at least confirm their story.

_ 'My dear Gaius, _

_ It has been far too long since I have written to you. I hope you can forgive me and understand why I haven't sent you anything. Years ago I met a young man named Balinor. He was traveling through Essetir and I gave him shelter. He was a Dragon Heir, hiding his powers but wishing to keep track of what was happening in Camelot. He continued to visit whenever he was in the area. Before he returned to the mountains he proposed to me and I accepted. _

_ I live among the dragons and dragonlord's now. They have accepted me as one of their own. I was even welcomed and blessed by the Great Dragon . Balinor's parents welcomed me with open arms as well. We were married and had a son and a daughter. I am now entrusting my son to your care. He is eighteen winters old and talented with herbs and medicines. I believe you will be a wonderful teacher just as our healer has taught him. He knows the story of the purge and understands Camelot's laws. He will hide his magic from Uther. His magic is special. It is unlike any other warlock. He is Merlin Ambrosius, son of the Dragonlord Balinor Ambrosius. He is the Ambrosius clan's Dragon Heir. _

_ The great dragon has told us that he is also the Emrys of legend. That is why he must be in Camelot. Arthur Pendragon is the Once and Future King. He needs Emrys by his side. Arthur has learned the ways of our people and has learned of magic. He understands it now and has accepted it, so he is our ally, blessed by Kilgharrah himself, just as I was so many years ago. _

_ Please take my son in as your apprentice. He is very smart and will work hard. I have told him that you are his uncle and how you used to study magic. He will not trouble you with magic unless you bring it up. _

_ I thank you from the bottom of my heart, _

_ Your sister, _

_ Hunith.’ _

Gaius had to read the letter a few times. Arthur and Merlin's story was supposedly true. Gaius was well aware of the dragonlord's. He knew the Ambrosius clan as well. He remembered Aldred and Rowena, as well as their son Balinor. He had been headstrong and rambunctious at times, but he was also kind and noble. Gaius was glad to hear his sister was safe and by the sounds of it, happy. He could ask Merlin to tell him more about his family later. Gaius folded the letter back up, looking to Merlin and Arthur. The young men were waiting patiently.

“I am sorry about your grandfather, Merlin. I knew him well. He was a good man. Is your grandmother still living?” Gaius finally said. Hunith had called Balinor the dragon heir earlier in her letter. Later she referred to him as the Dragonlord. He knew what both terms meant. He wasn't sure if Merlin had met his grandfather, but it was the first thing that had come to his mind.

“Thank you. He passed away when I was eleven winters from illness. He was very wise and would tell me stories of Camelot. I looked up to him. Grandmother lives with us now, and she is doing well. I think she's adopted Arthur as a third grandchild, actually. I know Mother has adopted him,” Merlin said, starting to smirk.

“You groaned when she was fussing over us today. I enjoyed it. Your sister is a lovely woman, Gaius. Merlin tells the truth, she's doing well and she's very happy,” Arthur grinned.

Gaius nodded. It was good to hear from multiple people that Hunith was indeed doing well.

“I have further proof that I have lived with the dragonlord's and been accepted by them. This sword was forged by the blacksmith and Dragonlord Albin Urry, and forged in dragon’s fire by the Great Dragon, Kilgharrah. This sword is called Excalibur. It is mine and mine alone,” Arthur said, drawing his sword. 

Gaius came closer, inspecting it. He gasped, fingers tracing over the runes. It was most certainly of dragon kin design. Though his magic had become weaker, he could still sense the power radiating from it. The two young men had spoken the truth. Arthur was an ally of magic. They wouldn't have given him such a precious gift if he hadn't proven himself.

“Alright, Merlin. There is an empty storage room behind that door. It's much larger than it sounds. I will have a bed and wardrobe brought in. You can stay there,” Gaius said, moving away from the sword as Arthur put it away.

“Really?” Merlin asked, grinning. Even if it was supposedly small, he was finally going to have his own room!

“Of course. If you are to be my apprentice you should stay close to me. That room has been empty for years. We might as well use it,” Gaius said with a smile.

Merlin wanted to hug him. He didn't of course, despite their relation they had just met. He looked to Arthur with a huge grin. Arthur smiled back, giving him a nod of approval.

“Thank you, Gaius! I won't let you down, I promise,” Merlin insisted, grabbing the man's hand and shaking it instead. Gaius' eyes widened with surprise, but he smiled and let the young man shake his hand.

“Oh yes, I should let you know that I promised that Merlin could return home once and awhile. It should only be for a few days at a time. He's lived in the mountains for eighteen years after all. I will want to return to visit as well. I hope you will allow this,” Arthur said. Gaius looked to the Prince and nodded. That sounded fair. Merlin would probably be get homesick, and Gaius would be able to have more frequent updates on his sister and her family.

“I understand. It will be no trouble, unless you decide to have a vacation every week,” Gaius said, giving Merlin a stern look. The young warlock laughed.

“No, not every week. I want to be able to visit my family, but I have a duty here,” Merlin said.

“Very good. Just remember that while you are here, you cannot use your magic. If you're caught, you'll be killed. Your mother trusted me to take care of you. Please don't make that difficult,” Gaius said sternly.

“I know. I promise I won't use magic unless I absolutely have to. I will if Arthur's life is in danger but otherwise I know how to control it,” Merlin said with a nod.

“Good, now we should go meet with the King. I suspect he will be waiting for us and expecting me to give an update on your health, Arthur,” Gaius said. Arthur nodded, pulling up his tunic on the side that he had been injured on.

“It was this side, as you can see there is no scar. We can tell my father it is practically healed,” Arthur said. Merlin's eyes flashed gold and a nearly healed gash appeared on Arthur's side. Arthur frowned, looking at his friend.

“Just in case he asks to see it,” Merlin shrugged. He didn't know details of how the King was in his day to day life. He only knew of the people he had slaughtered and why.

“See Gaius, he's not as dumb as he looks,” Arthur teased, a huge grin on his face as he straightened out his tunic, ruffling Merlin's hair.

“I can’t say the same about you, you giant prat,” Merlin laughed, pulling away from Arthur. Both boys looked to a horrified Gaius.

“Oh, I know not to call him that in public, but it's okay in private,” Merlin said.

“Yes, Merlin is very creative with his insults. Best not to use them in front of my father though, or he'll send you to the stocks. Come on, he's expecting us,” Arthur said as he moved for the door. Merlin and Gaius followed him.

Merlin let the two men lead him through the castle. He would probably be following Gaius around a lot in the coming days, just as Arthur had followed him around the mountains. He made sure to look for things he'd remember as they made their way to the council chambers. It would be easier if he had these things to guide him.

They soon arrived and the large doors opened. Uther sat at the head of a rectangular table while other men sat alongside it. Uther stood up when he saw his son, smiling and giving him a nod. The trio that had arrived bowed, Merlin proud of himself for remembering to do it this time.

“Arthur. I am glad to see you have joined us. Have you checked him over, Gaius?” Uther asked.

“I have, Sire. I must commend Merlin's actions and work. He is very talented as a physician already. The wound is healing nicely, though the Prince might have to rest a few more days. He was in good enough shape to travel, but I fear training could aggravate the wound despite the fact it is in it's last stages of healing,” Gaius explained. It was a realistic lie.

“Excellent! Do you know what manner of animal could have caused it?” Uther asked.

“I do not, Sire. Might I be allowed to stay for the Prince's report? Perhaps his description of the creature could help me identify it, as Merlin didn't see the creature,” Gaius replied.

“That is an excellent idea. Arthur, tell the council what you encountered. We all wish to know,” Uther said, sitting down.

Arthur stepped forward, telling the council the tale of the griffin. He explained how it had attacked him and his knights, slaughtering them and wounding them. He spoke of his escape and how he had wandered towards the village. Thus began his lie of how Merlin found him and nursed him back to health in his small hut on the outskirts of a village called Stathford, and later their return to Camelot. When he was finished, Uther looked to Gaius who was pretending to contemplate what this creature was.

“Do you have any idea of what this beast is, Gaius?” Uther asked. Gaius frowned.

“It does sound familiar, but I believe I will have to consult my books, Sire,” he admitted. Uther nodded.

“I understand. You are dismissed,” he said. Gaius bowed and Merlin followed his example, following his uncle out of the room. Uther waited until the pair was gone before speaking.

“Are you certain this creature was not associated with the dragonlord's? You were close to their hiding place,” Uther said. Arthur nodded.

“The beast was not a normal animal, but it was definitely not a dragon. The savages only associate themselves with dragons, do they not?” Arthur asked, taking information from the books he had been raised on. It was the best way to claim ignorance. Pretend he still believed the dragonlords were just as they were in the books.

“They might have changed in the past twenty-one years. We actually have a Dragonlord in our dungeons, but he won't confess to anything or even give us his name. We caught him shortly after your disappearance,” Uther sighed.

Arthur's blood ran cold. He knew exactly who the Dragonlord in question was. William Renold. The Ambrosius family had all spoken fondly of him. He had to get the man out somehow, so he could return home. Arthur forced a smile, hoping his father wouldn't notice anything was wrong.

“Really? One of them actually came out of the mountains?” He asked. Uther nodded.

“Yes, the only thing he has said is that he's a Dragonlord and we will never find the others. Perhaps you can try to get some answers out of him,” Uther said.

Oh yes, Arthur would talk to him, but he wouldn't be doing what his father expected of him.

“I will go speak to him immediately, if you do not mind. I'll do so in private, perhaps he will speak to me then,” Arthur said. To his relief, Uther nodded.

“If you are feeling up to it, you may go down now. He is in one of the interrogation rooms. The guards will show you which one. We have kept him in there instead of a cell. It's far more secure and much more fitting for such a sorcerer,” Uther said. Arthur nodded, bowing to his father.

He left the room, hurrying down to the dungeons. He would bring Merlin to see his friend later. For now, he wanted to get the dragonlord's trust. He kept up his princely facade as he informed the guards of why he was in the dungeons. They led him to one of the interrogation chambers, opening the door and closing it behind the Prince.

The room was set up like it normally was, but there was some straw in the corner for the prisoner, as well as a chamber pot in another corner. A young man sat on the straw. He looked up when the Prince entered, narrowing his blue eyes.

“You're new,” he hissed, standing up. Arthur looked him over. The man's clothes were reduced to nothing but rags, bruises and scars covered his body. Arthur pitied him. He hoped the man had enough strength to get back to the mountains.

“I am Prince Arthur Pendragon,” Arthur said. The man scoffed.

“So Camelot's precious Prince returns, eh? I'm guessing they told you who I am, then,” he said. Arthur nodded.

“My father claims you are a Dragonlord,” he replied. The Dragonlord laughed.

“Not what you were expecting, I'm guessing. Your guards made sure of that,” he sneered.

“People can surprise you. I've learned outer appearances mean nothing. For instance, Arnold Monogomery looks like a quiet and passive man. He doesn't look like a warrior, yet he brought down a griffin. Then again, sometimes people's appearances are true. For instance, Merlin Ambrosius looks like an idiot, and he is in fact an idiot,” Arthur watched Will closely, gauging his reaction. The man turned deathly pale. Arthur couldn't really blame him, in hindsight. Perhaps that wasn't the best way to tell the dragonlord he knew of his people.

“How do you know those names?” Will hissed, clenching his fists. The only thing that stopped him from getting closer to the Prince was a chain around his ankle, keeping him on one side of the room.

“I've been to the mountains. I know who you are, William Renold. I come to you as a friend. I mean you no harm. In fact, I'm here to help you plan an escape so you can return to your people,” Arthur said, holding up his hands in surrender.

“Why should I trust the Prince of Camelot?” Will asked. Arthur paused, drawing his sword and showing it to him.

“I have spent the last month living among the dragonlord's, learning of their ways and of magic. I have been staying with the Ambrosius clan. The Great Dragon himself claims I am the Once and Future King, destined to unite Albion with Emrys by my side. Before Merlin and I left for Camelot, Albin Urry presented this sword that he forged for me. Kilgharrah then blessed it, forging it in dragon's fire. It is called Excalibur. I hope this can be proof that my intentions are indeed noble,” Arthur said, moving the sword so Will could see it better.

Will gasped, looking the sword over. He could tell it was from the Urry’s forge. It had a beautiful design, no doubt it was Olivia who had designed it. He could also feel Kilgharrah's magic radiating from the sword itself.

“Why? Why do you come as an ally after so many years?” Will asked, stepping back with a frown. Arthur sighed, sitting in the chair and sheathing his sword.

“My father has fed me lies my whole life. For instance, did you know the books said your people had always lived in caves and you enslaved the dragons? And that you were just as savage as the beasts themselves?” Arthur said. Will gave him a familiar stare. Merlin had stared at him the same way when he heard it.

“Wow. That's just....wow,” Will said, making a face. Arthur had to cover his mouth so his laugh wouldn't echo down the hall.

“Merlin said the exact same thing, and made that exact same face when he heard that. I can see why you two are friends,” He said. Will frowned once more.

“How do you know Merlin? How did you even find us?” He asked. The sword was a good indication that the Prince could be trusted, but he couldn't bring himself to fully trust the man.

“I will admit that we were hunting for the dragonlord's. We were attacked by a griffin. My men were killed but I survived, though I was wounded. I wandered into the forest. Merlin found me while he was walking. He ran back to the dragonlord's. They weren't going to help me at first, and everyone was shocked that I managed to get so far in, but Kilgharrah spoke up and revealed I was the Once and Future King, going off about destiny and all that. You know how he is. Anyways, Balinor carried me back and Kilgharrah healed my wounds. They decided I should stay with them so I could learn things. I was against it at first, especially when Kilgharrah told me I was supposed to bring magic back to the land and unite it, but I learned so much there. I learned that magic is like a sword, a sword can be used for good or for evil. It is up to the user to decide,” Arthur said, finishing his tale.

There was silence in the room. Will had been raised with the stories of Emrys and the Once and Future King, of course. He also knew of his friend's destiny as the fabled Emrys. While he believed Kilgharrah was starting to go senile in his old age, he was positive the other dragons and dragonlords would be allowed to have their say in things.

“Sounds like some weird crap Giles would come up with,” He finally said. Arthur grinned.

“You know him all too well. He's an excellent sparring partner, both him and Alan. Oh, if it helps with my sincerity, I'm pretty sure Rowena and Hunith have adopted me as an honorary Ambrosius,” Arthur said. Will seemed to be getting a bit more relaxed with him. This was good.

“I can't see Balinor being too happy about that. He was glad when they adopted me, can't say the same for you,” Will said with a hint of a smile. Arthur chuckled.

“I think he likes me enough. He's outnumbered anyways, I've won over his whole family. It's apart of my charm. He's complimented me on my hunting skills, so I guess that's something,” Arthur reminisced. He had only been back in Camelot for a short time, but he was already missing the mountains.

“You said you wanted to get me out of here so I could return home. Do you even have a plan in mind?” Will asked. Arthur frowned.

“Not yet, I'll have to speak to Merlin first, I'm sure he can come up with-” Arthur began. Will's eyes widened and he stood up.

“WHAT?” He shouted. Arthur stared at him, surprised. “What do you mean speak to Merlin? He's not actually here, is he?” Will said, quieter this time.

“He's staying with his uncle. He's the Court Physician. He had to come to Camelot with me. I know, this is the worst place ever for a Dragon Heir to be, but Kilgharrah insisted that he should go. Balinor and Hunith gave their consent. He wanted to come here,” Arthur insisted.

“Kilgharrah is also a senile old lizard!” Will hissed.

“You were fine with everything else Kilgharrah said, about me being the Once and Future King as well as giving me a sword,” Arthur frowned.

“Yeah, that was before you told me he said my best friend needed to come to the heart of the place that wants him dead. Did you send a torch to help Uther light the pyre as well?” Will sneered. Arthur could definitely believe that Will had spent a lot of time with the Ambrosius clan. There were instances in this conversation where he was being reminded of both Merlin and Balinor, and that last statement just solidified it.

“No, I did not. My father will never know of Merlin's magic. He's smarter than you give him credit for, he can hide it. I believe in him,” Arthur insisted. Will was now silent. He was silent for some time before he spoke again.

“Forget any plan you had to get me out. Merlin just arrived in Camelot, right? What if Uther blames him for my escape? You have to let me die,” he finally said.

Arthur didn't consider that. He knew his father well. If Will had been here for awhile, no doubt the King would want to have the man executed soon. The timing would be terrible and he would look for someone else to blame. He knew of Merlin. By introducing Merlin to the King, he also damned him in a way.

“What if I killed you then? It would be a swift death, much better than the pyre my father will burn you on. I can pretend you attacked me and I responded in self defence. When I am King, you will be honoured for your bravery,” Arthur said softly, “that way, Merlin will remain safe.”

Will thought about this. It did seem like a good plan. He didn't fear death in the first place. He did however, fear his friend dying because Will was stupid and had gotten caught. Arthur seemed to be unlike his father, he had a dragon kin sword as well. He knew of Arnold and the Ambrosius family. He wouldn't have had a chance to meet them otherwise. He could argue that he had read about Arnold, Rowena, and Balinor in any surviving records, but Arthur also spoke of Merlin, Hunith, and Freya. There was no way he would know of the Dragon Heir, his mother, and sister. Just like Will, the children were born and raised in those mountains while Hunith was a peasant woman from Essetir.

“Please let me see Merlin first,” Will finally said. He wanted to see the young man who was like a brother to him one last time. He wanted to explain everything himself.

“I can do that. I'll get him and sneak him down here,” Arthur nodded without hesitation.

\---

He hurried down the halls, intent to get to Gaius' chambers as soon as possible. He did grab another sword along the way, planning to use it to kill Will. He didn't want a dragon kin sword to be stained with dragonlord blood. He took a deep breath, focusing on his mission. Merlin needed to know. He deserved to know.

Arthur stopped at Gaius' chambers. He raised his hand to knock, hesitating. Merlin was going to be devastated at the news, he knew it. Arthur bit his lip, knocking on the door. Merlin opened it a few moments later, his expression dark.

“Arthur…” he said. The young man looked like he was about to cry. Arthur had a sickening feeling he knew why as well. 

“Can I come in?” He asked. Merlin moved aside so the Prince could enter.

Gaius was sitting at the table, clearly upset. Merlin closed the door behind the Prince. He moved past him silently, going to sit across from his uncle. 

“I am guessing that you know why I'm here,” Arthur said. Merlin let out a small sob.

“Its Will, isn't it? They really do have him, don't they?” He said. Arthur nodded.

“Yes. I rushed down the moment my father told me. I'm so sorry, Merlin,” he replied. Merlin stood up, determination in his eyes.

“We need to get him out,” the warlock said. Arthur held out a hand.

“Merlin, no. He doesn't want to be released. Let me take you down to him, so he can explain. Please,” Arthur said.

“What do you mean he doesn't want to be released?” Merlin frowned. Arthur grabbed his arm. 

“Come with me Merlin, please,” Arthur begged. He needed the Dragon Heir to follow him.

Merlin bit his lip. Arthur was telling him he would take him to Will. He did want to see his friend. Maybe he could convince him that he was being a fool.

“Okay,” he said softly.

Merlin let Arthur lead him through the halls. The Prince was trying to keep him hidden, so no suspicions would fall on him. When they reached the dungeons, Merlin hid in the shadows while Arthur spoke to the guard, talking about how he was back to see their prisoner again. 

The guard did as his Prince commanded. Arthur dismissed the guard who opened the cell for him, making sure he was gone before gesturing for Merlin to come out of his hiding place. The moment Merlin laid his eyes on his friend, he ran to his side, embracing him.

“Will!” He said. Will smiled, hugging Merlin back.

“What are you doing here, you idiot? You should be in the mountains!” Will said, his mood changing once it hit that Merlin really was here.

“Arthur is the Once and Future King-” Merlin said before Will interrupted him.

“Yeah I know that, I'm wondering why you listened to a senile old lizard and actually went to the place that wants to kill you!” Will frowned. Merlin frowned as well.

“I need to follow my destiny. You on the other hand need to go back to the mountains. You can return to Camelot when magic is free once more,” he said. Will shook his head.

“I can't, Merlin. I thought he would have told you,” Will said, gesturing to Arthur, “Uther will suspect you if I escape. You're a new person to Camelot, and I've been here a few weeks. It will be suspicious. Arthur is going to make it painless though. He promised.”

Merlin stared in horror, his eyes starting to water. He began to sob as he grabbed Will once more. Will sighed, holding his sobbing friend. He would understand. He just needed some time.

Arthur stood by the door awkwardly as this went on. He didn't want to interrupt the two friends. He also didn't want true guards to hear Merlin's sobs. If they came he would insist that it was the Dragonlord, and that Arthur was making progress in breaking him.

Merlin soon pulled away, wiping his eyes. Will tried to give him a reassuring smile. 

“Please, Merlin. Don't hate me or Arthur. You're an idiot for coming here but your destiny is to help free everyone else. You need to stay hidden and work with your uncle. I didn’t even know you had one until today! At least I know you’ll be left with family, eh?” Will said. Merlin didn’t look overly reassured. 

“Will...there has to be another way,” Merlin said, looking between his friend and the Prince. Arthur looked down. He couldn’t think of another way out of this. 

“There is no other way. I’ve been at this man’s mercy for a month, Merlin. He’s insane. He’ll stop at nothing to destroy magic. You need to let this happen, and keep yours hidden at all costs. Please,” Will begged. 

Merlin stared at him in silence. This was the person he had grown up with. This was the person he had spent hours with day after day, following him around like a lost puppy. They had been taught magic together. They had been taught the history of their noble people together. When Will’s had been orphaned by illness, Merlin had been by his friend’s side. Will had stayed with the Ambrosius clan for a time. He would have to explain this to his family when he returned home. He would have to return with shame and tell them that Will had died and he had been unable to help him. 

Some savior of magic he was.

“Okay. I promise,” Merlin said softly. Will gave him a sad smile, ruffling his hair.

“I’ll be rooting for you in the afterlife, Merlin. Kick Uther’s ass for me,” he grinned. Merlin forced a small smile. 

“I will,” he nodded. 

“Good. Now go, I don’t want you caught here. They still might suspect something. We don’t want to risk it,” Will said, hugging his friend tight, “Αποχαιρετισμός, Merlin. May fate grant us a chance to meet again.”

Merlin bit his lip, trying to hold back the sobs that were threatening to return. He clung to Will. Uther Pendragon would pay, he would make sure of that. He took a deep breath.

“Αποχαιρετισμός, Will,” he said softly.

Arthur came to his side as Merlin stepped away, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Do you know the way back to Gaius?” He asked. 

“Yes,” Merlin nodded. It was simple enough. In the worst possible case he could ask someone to help him once he was out of the dungeons. He could claim he was delivering a medicine or something. Arthur nodded.

“I will leave you to it, then,” he said, going to open the door. He looked out, glancing around to make sure there were no guards before moving so Merlin could get out. Merlin moved past him, looking back to his best friend one last time before running off.

Arthur closed the door and waited in silence. He wanted Merlin to be long gone by the time he did this. Will seemed to understand why he was quiet, and waited in silence as well. Arthur was thankful for that. When he felt Merlin had to be long gone, he turned to the Dragonlord, drawing the sword he had brought. 

“I brought this, so Excalibur will not be tainted by dragonlord blood. We can pretend that we got in a fight, and I was defending myself,” Arthur said. Will looked to the sword with disgust.

“I would rather you use Excalibur, to be honest. You have Merlin to back you up. They’ll know that I wanted this. If I’m going to die, then I want to die by a sword made by my people,” he said.

Arthur put the other sword down. He had brought it out of respect, but he could understand Will’s reasoning. As long as he wouldn’t be showing any disrespect by doing this, he would give the Dragonlord what he wanted.

“Do you have any funeral rites that I should know about?  So I can be sure to give you the proper honours,” Arthur said, bringing out Excalibur. Will sighed.

“My funeral would usually be held in the valley, surrounded by the other dragonlord’s and their families as well as the dragons. My son is supposed to order the dragons to light the pyre. I don’t have a son or dragons to do it. In the mountains, Balinor would probably be the one to do it since I was so close with his clan. If you can, burn my body. Get Merlin to light it with his magic, if at all possible. That’s is close as I’ll get,” Will said. 

Arthur thought about this. They did usually burn the bodies, but it would be hard to make it so Merlin could use his magic. A plan began to form in his mind. Perhaps he could use his father’s paranoia and hate against him. He could insist that it would be safer to burn the body far away from here. He could sneak Merlin out and do it somewhere else. Yes, that was a good plan.

“I can do that. I have something in mind,” he nodded, “as I told you before, when I am King you will be honoured for your bravery. People will sing your praises, the man who sacrificed himself so his friend could live safely.” 

“I don’t do this for praise. I do this for Merlin. You better protect him, or I’ll come back to haunt your royal arse,” Will said, closing his eyes. He clenched his fists. Now was the time.

“I’m done with you Pendragons! I will tell you nothing but this: magic will rise again and you will pay for everything you’ve done!” Will shouted, diving at Arthur.

Arthur’s eyes widened. He wasn’t expecting Will to come at him like that. He raised his sword, driving it through the man’s chest. Will’s eyes widened before dulling, as Arthur pulled out the sword. The Dragonlord crumpled to the ground, clutching his chest. 

“Thank you, Arthur. Αποχαιρετισμός,” Will managed to say. 

“Αποχαιρετισμός, Will,” Arthur repeated. He said the Dragonlord grin slightly before he grimaced in pain, closing his eyes.

The guards burst through the door, panic on their faces and swords drawn. They looked between their Prince and the fallen Dragonlord. 

“Sire! We heard a commotion, are you okay?” One of them asked. Arthur nodded, putting on a facade of a heartless and cold Prince.

“Yes. The Dragonlord tried to attack me. I dealt with him. He will trouble us no more,” Arthur said, casually grabbing a nearby rag to wipe the blood off his sword. He hated acting like this. “Prepare his body to be cremated tomorrow. I will report this to my father,” Arthur said, pushing past the guards as he sheathed his sword.

His heart was beating as he made his way towards the throne room. He had just killed an innocent man. He had killed other sorcerer’s before, he knew that he was a murderer, but this one was different. He knew this one. Maybe not personally for a long period of time, but he had heard so many stories. 

The guards bowed to him when he reached the throne room. Arthur nodded to them as the doors opened up. Sure enough, Uther was sitting on his throne, reading something. He smiled and stood up, coming to greet his son. Clearly news of what happened hadn’t reached him yet.

“Arthur! Did you have any luck with the Dragonlord?” Uther asked. Arthur bowed his head, shaking it.

“I did not, father. I’m sorry, but the Dragonlord is dead. He would tell me nothing no matter what I did. He attacked me. I ran him through before he could do anything,” Arthur explained. Uther gasped, mistaking the remorse that Arthur couldn’t hide as remorse for not getting any information.

“That monster. You have nothing to apologize for, Arthur. You acted reasonably. That thing dared to attack you. I will have guards take his body into the forest tomorrow and bury it in an unmarked grave,” he said, turning around. Arthur’s head snapped up. That isn’t what he planned. 

“Burry it, father?” He asked. Uther turned back to him, nodding. 

“Yes, The books don’t say it I’ll admit, but back in the day the dragonlord’s had a certain custom. When a dragonlord died, his pyre would be lit by the dragons, called upon by the dragonlord’s son as the curse passed on. Another dragonlord does it if the person doesn’t have an heir, or if they are another family member. We will not give that man the honour of a funeral pyre. He will be buried where no one will find him or remember him,” Uther scoffed.

Arthur had to contain his look of horror. Not only did his father know about the dragonlord customs, he was deliberately doing everything he could to dishonour the man’s corpse. It was then Arthur realized he still had been holding onto a small bit of hope for his father. He had just felt that last bit of hope fall away. 

“I will personally do it myself, Sire. I’ll leave at first light so I will be home in time for the feast. Perhaps I will even take Merlin with me, he can help me deal with the body. He should be used to dealing with such things,” Arthur said, inwardly wincing at his own callousness. 

“Take some knights with you. I don't want you to go alone, especially if there’s a savage creature out there,” Uther frowned. Arthur nodded, bowing to his father.

“I will, sire,” he said, “I will go prepare now, as well as acquire my knights.”

Uther nodded, dismissing him. Arthur hurried down the hall. He knew exactly who he would take with him. He would take Sir Leon and Sir Owain. They were loyal to the King, but they were Arthur’s men first. They would keep Merlin’s secret if they found out. He would just send them away when the pyre was lit, or distract them. He sighed, putting a hand over Excalibur and making a mental note to visit Merlin after he was finished.

\---

Merlin slammed the door behind him when he got back to Gaius’ chambers. He had managed to get lost on the way, but he had refused to speak to any guards. He just wanted to curl up on his bed and sob. The old man jumped, standing up.

“Merlin…” he said, starting to go over to him. 

Merlin was heading for his room but he stopped, falling to his knees and starting to sob. His best friend was probably dead now. He wouldn’t be able to be burned by the dragons, like he should have. It was a disgrace that the young man didn’t deserve. 

“Oh my boy…” Gaius said, slowly getting to his knees. His nephew had already been devastated when Gaius told him of the Dragonlord in the dungeons, it was most likely worse now that he had seen him. 

“He’s dead, Gaius! He’s dead and it’s all my fault! He’s let himself die because of me!” Merlin cried as he let his uncle hug him. They had only known each other for a few hours, but he was still comforted by the man’s presence. Despite the fact he was much older he did remind Merlin of his mother. 

“Oh, Merlin...I’m so sorry,” Gaius said. He held the warlock as he cried for his friend. Finding out the man was here and then losing him so soon, that would be a shock to anyone.

“He won’t try to escape. He said that Uther will probably blame me. Arthur agrees with him. They made a deal. Arthur is going to kill him quickly, so he won’t have to suffer any more. I understand, but it still hurts. I wanted him to escape. I wanted him to go home, where it’s safe,” Merlin finally said after some time. Gaius sighed. Arthur and Will had spoken the truth. 

“Uther will stop at nothing to rid Camelot of magic. That much is true. It is possible that he would turn on you, blame you for the man’s escape,” Gaius nodded, “Will is a true friend if he is going to sacrifice himself for you. Arthur is a good man. He will honour him and give him a swift passing,” 

“I wanted him to escape,” was all Merlin said before there was a knock at the door. Gaius looked up.

“Come in,” he said. It would take him a moment to get up from his place on the floor, and he wasn’t expecting Merlin to go answer it right now. The door opened to reveal Arthur. He entered the room, closing the door behind him. 

The moment Merlin saw his friend, his eyes filled with tears once again. He knew it was done. Will was dead. 

“His passing was quick. He...he said Αποχαιρετισμός to me. I said it back. I assume it is a term of respect, what does it mean?” The Prince asked. At first he had thought it was goodbye, but none of the dragonlord’s had said it to them as they left.

“It means farewell. You only say it if you don’t know if you’ll ever see someone again, or if you know it is the end,” Merlin said, his expression unreadable.

However, he was glad that Will felt that Arthur was worthy enough to hear the dragon tongue spoken to him, even happier to know that Arthur had said it back even if he didn’t know what it meant. He was a smart man. Merlin was sure he could have easily figured out it was a sign of respect. He wasn't surprised that Arthur had done so.

“My father has ordered me to take his body to the forest and bury it. I want you to come with me, Merlin. I will have to take knights but I have two who are loyal to me. I'll bring them and your magic will still be a secret. They won't tell anyone…” Arthur began. Merlin stood up, his expression changing from sorrow to rage.

“Bury it? That is an insult! Our people are always-”

“Sent off by the dragons. I know. I'm sorry, I should have been more clear. I want you to come with me to light his pyre using your magic. I know it's not a dragon, but it is the best I can come up with. Maybe we can keep something of his, and give him a true dragonlord funeral one day,” Arthur said. Merlin looked down, clenching his fists.

“When are we leaving?” He asked. 

“First light. I trust I'll see you then?” Arthur said. 

Merlin nodded. He had brought along some of his ceremonial clothes. He could dress Will’s body in those. His family would understand why he needed new ones.

“Let me dress him when we get there. He’ll fit in my clothes they're ceremonial robes. I brought them in case I got homesick, but I don't mind giving them up for this,” Merlin said softly. 

“Of course,” Arthur agreed. That was a reasonable request. “I will see you in the courtyard then, at first light,” Arthur nodded, turning to leave.

“Goodnight, Arthur,” Merlin said softly. 

He watched the Prince nod to him before leaving. Merlin said nothing as he returned to the table. Gaius moved to the pot of stew he was making for their dinner, giving the warlock some space.

\---

Merlin couldn’t sleep that night. He had been so excited to finally have his own room, but it felt so wrong. Combined with the stress of what had happened earlier, he knew sleep was not going to come easy tonight.

He continued to toss and turn as the moon rose in the sky. He finally gave in, collecting the few blankets and single pillow he had in his arms and made his way to the main chambers.

Gaius was fast asleep in his bed. Merlin didn’t want to wake the man, so he tip-toed down the steps. He resorted to making himself a place to sleep near the stairs. He knew he would have to get used to sleeping on his own, but surely his uncle would understand.

Thankfully, knowing someone else was present in the room and hearing his uncle’s even breaths was calming. Merlin found he was finally able to relax as he let sleep take him.

\---

Gaius woke him up the next morning, looking down at the warlock with a raised eyebrow. Merlin gave him a guilty smile.

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t sleep. I’m too used being surrounded by other people. I promise I won’t make it a habit!” He said. Gaius nodded.

“As long as it doesn’t become a habit. I don’t want you sleeping on the floor all the time in case someone comes in the middle of the night. At least let me get you a bedroll as well. Sleeping on the hard ground is bad for you,” Gaius said. 

He could understand. While he wanted Merlin to start sleeping in his own room in case someone needed the physician’s assistance in the middle of the night, he would allow it for a few nights. Merlin had managed to tell him a few stories of the mountains over dinner the night before. Camelot was very different than the cave his family was living in. 

“Perhaps you can also have your door open, as you grow accustomed to being on your own. That may help with the transition,” Gaius suggested. Merlin’s eyes lit up.

“That’s a great idea!” He said. Gaius gave him a small smile. 

“Come now, go get dressed. I’ve started some porridge for breakfast. You have a very long day ahead of you,” he said.

Merlin’s smile fell as memories of the previous night came back. Will was dead. His best friend was dead. He was going to light the funeral pyre today. He gave his uncle a small nod, heading back to his room. 

He hadn’t unpacked yet. He threw all his clothes on his bed, debating on what to wear. In the end he chose a dark blue tunic and red neckerchief, complete with black trousers and his usual brown jacket. He packed the ceremonial robes before heading back to see his uncle sharing out the food between two bowls. He put his bag down by the door, going to sit. Gaius gave him a small smile as he sat as well.

Merlin ate quickly. The sun was starting to rise and Arthur had told him they were meeting at first light. He didn’t want to be late. He stood up, going to get his bag.

“Be careful, Merlin. I know Arthur said that he was bring knights that were loyal to him...but please be careful,” Gaius said. Merlin gave him a small smile. 

“I will, uncle,” he said, waving to him before running off to the courtyard. 

\---

Arthur, Leon, and Owain were already there with horses, as well as two horses attached to a cart. There was a blanket over the cart, hiding what was in it. Arthur frowned when he saw Merlin. Uther was watching from his window, he had to pretend to be a stern and commanding Prince.

“Merlin, it’s about time,” he said, “you can drive the cart.”

Merlin frowned. What was Arthur’s problem? He was on time! He opened his mouth to say something to the Prince, but thought better of it when he remembered they were no longer in the mountains. He couldn’t get away with that here. Instead, he stomped over to the cart, throwing his bag on the seat and sitting next to it. If Arthur expected him to apologize, he had another thing coming.

Arthur said nothing as he nodded to his confused knights. The sun was up and they could leave.

“Let’s go. I want to be home in time for the feast,” Arthur said, riding ahead as Leon and Owain rushed to catch up. Merlin grumbled, grabbing the reins to lead the horses.

\---

He was fuming all the way into the forest. Arthur held up a hand, signaling for them to stop. He turned to Merlin, looking apologetic. 

“I’m sorry, Merlin. My father was watching. He expects it of me,” Arthur said. Merlin stared at him, making the horses move one more and driving the cart past him.

“You weren’t that much of an ass when I met you. I don’t see why you have to be one now,” Merlin hissed. 

Leon and Owain gasped, Leon narrowing his eyes.

“You cannot speak to the Prince like that!” He cried. Arthur held up a hand.

“Stand down, Sir Leon,” Arthur said before turning back to Merlin, “Merlin, stop. That’s an order,” he said.

Merlin did end up stopping, but he didn’t look back at Arthur. Even if the man did have to keep up appearances, his dismissal and words had hurt him. Arthur knew how important Will was to him. He knew how upset Merlin was about the young man’s death. He could have easily been firm but kinder. 

“I’m sorry, Merlin. Really. I...behaved poorly. I should have been kinder. I’ve been regretting my actions this whole time,” Arthur said. 

Merlin finally looked at him. His friend really did look upset. Merlin sighed, closing his eyes.

“You have a good heart, Arthur. I have seen it. You just...you need to start to think before you speak. That is how you’ll become the King you’re supposed to be one day,” he said. Leon and Owain looked between the two, completely confused. Arthur looked over at them.

“Come, let us continue,” Arthur said, leading the way once more. 

They walked in silence. As they continued on, Arthur had some time to think. He had been hoping to find an excuse to send Leon and Owain away when Merlin lit the pyre, but he was starting to think he would have to reveal Merlin’s secret to them. He could see the way they looked to the young man. Leon would probably be the first to figure out something wasn’t right about him. It was better to get it out of the way now. 

Arthur stopped them once more at a large clearing. This would be perfect. 

“We’ll build a pyre here,” Arthur said. Leon raised an eyebrow.

“A pyre, Sire?” He asked. Arthur nodded. 

“Yes. He won’t be buried in an unmarked grave. He deserves much more than that. The man we are burying today was indeed a Dragonlord, but he was not evil like my father says. He was a brave and noble man who died to protect a friend from my father. Traditionally, a dragonlord would be sent off with a pyre lit by the dragons, summoned by the dragonlord’s son. In this case, William Renold did not have a son. The gift was not passed on. In such cases another dragonlord would light the pyre, one who was close to the other. I know the Dragonlord who would light the pyre back in their mountains, but he is not here. Instead...” Arthur took a deep breath. This was it.

“Instead it will be lit by his son, using magic,” he said.

Leon and Owain’s eyes widened. Magic? Dragonlords? How did their Prince know of how a dragonlord’s funeral would go? What did he mean by son? Unless…

Leon’s eyes narrowed as he turned on Merlin, drawing his sword. The warlock was sitting in the cart, his eyes watering as he prepared his friend’s body. Leon saw the flash of gold in his eyes as Merlin muttered a spell to clean Will’s body before he dressed it properly. 

“He’s a sorcerer! Not only that, he’s a Dragonlord!” Leon cried. Owain quickly drew his sword as well.

“I am the Κληρονόμο δράκων of the noble Ambrosius clan. That means Dragon Heir. I’m no Dragonlord, not yet. Will was like a brother to me. I will be building him a pyre by myself if I have to, and I will light it,” Merlin hissed. He heard the knights draw their swords. He wasn’t scared of them. He could take them out with a mere thought if he wanted to. His main focus was to prepare Will’s body.

“Stand down!” Arthur shouted, getting between Merlin and his knights. Leon and Owain looked confused once again.

“But Sire…” Leon stared. Arthur held up a hand.

“I know he is a sorcerer. I didn’t want to reveal any of this, but I saw how you were looking at him. You were going to figure out that something was wrong. I would rather you hear it from me and let me explain before you go running off to my father. I know where the dragonlord’s are. No one else can get to them, the forest is enchanted. I...I got lucky. My men and I really were attacked by a monster. It was called a griffin. It was no friend to the dragonlord’s, though. They went out and hunted it down. It’s dead,” Arthur explained. Leon didn’t completely put down his sword.

“You found the dragonlord’s? How did you survive?” Leon gasped. Merlin snorted.

“Because unlike what Uther says, we’re not savages. We only live in caves because he chased us there. We’re peaceful people. We don’t want any trouble,” Merlin said. 

“It’s true. I’ve discovered everything my father has said about magic and the dragonlords...it’s all lies. I’ve been living alongside them for the past month. They saved my life. If they wanted to attack Camelot they could have done so ages ago. There are so many dragons there, my friends. It’s amazing. If they wanted to harm me, then they could have left me to die. I swear to you that the dragonlords are a noble people, and that Merlin means no harm,” Arthur insisted.

Leon and Owain stared at their Prince, wondering if he had been enchanted. Merlin ignored them as he continued his work. 

“What is he doing here then?” Owain demanded, frowning. He trusted his Prince, but there was a chance the man was enchanted. He didn’t trust magic, and he didn’t trust Merlin. 

“There is a prophecy among the druids and my people. It speaks of Emrys, the greatest and most powerful warlock to ever live. He is destined to join with the Once and Future King and bring magic and peace to a united Albion. I am Emrys, and he is the Once and Future King of legend. I had to come to Camelot to fulfill my destiny,” Merlin spoke up. 

“Magic is evil and has no place in Camelot, Sire! I have reason to believe this sorcerer has enchanted you!” Owain said. Merlin tensed up, narrowing his eyes. 

“Lower your sword, Sir Owain! I am not enchanted! If they wanted to enchant me as a spy they would have sent me back at long time ago, instead of taking the time to teach me!” Arthur snapped. 

“If you will not listen to your Prince, then listen to me, Sir Owain. Lower your sword,” Leon said calmly. Owain looked to Leon in horror.

“Has he enchanted you as well?!” he cried. Leon shook his head.

“No. I trained alongside Arthur. We were knighted together. I know him well. He is not enchanted. I do not understand what any of this means, but I’m putting my trust in you, Sire. However, if Merlin shows any sign of plotting against Camelot, I will do my duty to the crown and end his life,” Leon said. Arthur bowed his head.

“I thank you, Sir Leon. I assure you that you will have no need to do that duty. As I have said, Merlin means no harm,” Arthur said. 

Merlin had his back to the Prince and knights. Will’s body was now ready, they just had to build the pyre. However, it seemed that Arthur had to convince Sir Owain before he could get that done.

“I don’t understand, Sire. Magic is evil, it must be destroyed,” Owain said. Arthur looked up, narrowing his eyes.

“If magic is evil and must be destroyed, then run me through right now. I was born of magic. Go and kill my father, for he used it to make himself a son, sacrificing his wife’s life in the process,” Arthur hissed. Owain actually lowered his sword this time, both him and Leon’s eyes widening once again. 

“It’s true. Because my mother could not conceive, my father turned to magic. To create a life, one must be taken in return. That life was my mother’s. He only began the purge to hide what he had done. Merlin’s father told me of this,” Arthur said.

“A Dragonlord told you? How do you know he wasn’t lying?” Leon asked. This time his voice portrayed curiosity, not malice.

“He told me the day before we decided to return to Camelot. I believe it because so many of the things my father has told me have turned out to be lies. I have seen it with my own eyes. Living alongside the dragonlord’s has taught me many things. Magic is like a sword. Like a sword, it can be used for good or for evil. A sword can protect, or it can kill. Did you know that William was caught because someone saw him using magic to save a man from being killed by a boar? He was using his magic to save a life. How is that evil?” Arthur challenged. Leon and Owain were silent. They didn’t have an answer.

“Now, if we’re done with explanations, we need to get wood for the pyre. You must also swear to never speak of any of this with my father. I brought you both along because I felt you were loyal and good men. Please don’t make me regret this decision. Merlin has become a dear friend over the past month. I trust him and his family with my life,” Arthur said. Leon bowed his head.

“As I have said, Sire...I do not fully understand, but I will trust you,” he said. Owain was silent, hesitating before bowing his head as well.

“I will remain silent, Sire. You have my word,” he said. Arthur smiled.

“Thank you. Come, we must gather wood. Merlin, would you like to help or would you like to stay with William’s body? I will not fault you if you chose to stay,” Arthur said, dismounting and going to tie his horse to a nearby tree. Leon and Owain followed.

Merlin stood up. That whole exchange had actually gone much better than he had expected it to go. He still wasn’t sure if the knights would keep their word, but just like them he would trust Arthur’s judgment. He said he had trusted these men.

“I will go with you. I want to build the pyre. It should be build by a dragon kin,” he said.  

“Understandable. Come then, men. Merlin needs wood,” Arthur said, leading them into the forest.

\---

Merlin didn’t stray far, staying close so he could build up the pyre with the wood that Arthur, Leon, and Owain brought back. He could tell that neither him nor Owain really trusted each other, but they were both willing to work together for Arthur’s sake. 

The pyre was soon ready. Leon and Owain stood back as Arthur helped Merlin place Will’s body on it. Arthur went to join his knights after, giving Merlin space. 

Merlin paused, looking to his friend one last time before stepping back. His eyes glowed gold as he muttered a spell and the pyre lit up. He watched in silence as Will’s body burned, tears falling from his eyes. Uther would pay for what he had done. One day magic would return to the land and it would go against everything the man had ever built. Everyone would see him for the lying, murdering tyrant he was. 

“Μπορείτε να βρείτε την ειρήνη στην επόμενη ζωή,” he said. 

They waited until the fire died down before they left. Will’s body was gone. Merlin only hoped that his spirit had heard his prayer, and that he would indeed find peace in the next life.

\---

The ride back to Camelot was completely silent. Merlin went straight back to Gaius when they returned. Gaius welcomed the young man home with open arms. 

“Merlin, welcome home. You’re just in time for lunch. I was thinking that you could join me on my rounds this afternoon, if you’re feeling up to it,” Gaius said. Merlin gave him a small smile.

“That would be nice, uncle,” he nodded. It would help keep his mind off of what he had done, and he would get a tour of Camelot. He needed to learn his way around as quick as possible. 

\---

Lunch and the afternoon were relatively simple. Gaius led him around the city, bringing him to his patients and introducing his new apprentice to them. The people of Camelot seemed to be very kind, Merlin noted. He had always imagined the whole city would be constantly on the hunt for sorcerers, and always spewing hate thanks to their mad King. He had to admit that he was the foolish one for that. 

He paid very close attention as his uncle led him through the halls of the castle once more. This was his new home and he was probably going to be spending most of his time in these walls. Gaius led him to a guarded door. Clearly the inhabitant was an important person. 

“I have the Lady Morgana’s medicine,” Gaius said, going to knock on the door. The guard nodded, allowing the man to do so. 

Morgana. Arthur had spoken of her. She was the King’s ward, and she often suffered from terrible nightmares. He was interested in meeting her. Arthur had spoken fondly of her.

A dark skinned young woman opened the door. She was dressed in simpler clothes, more like a servant. Merlin smiled brightly. This must be Guinevere then. 

“Hello, Gwen. How are you today?” Gaius asked with a smile. Gwen smiled back, moving aside so the physician and his apprentice could enter the room.

“I’m very good, Gaius. I trust you are well?” She replied. Gaius nodded.

Merlin looked around the room. It was huge! He could have sworn it was bigger than his family’s cave. There was so much furniture as well! His eyes rested on a pale young woman by the window. She was staring out into the courtyard. The poor thing looked absolutely exhausted. 

“Morgana,” Gaius said, louder to get her attention. Morgana jumped, but looked to the old man and smiled.

“I’m sorry, hello Gaius,” she said, coming over to the trio. Her eyes moved to Merlin and they widened as she paled.

“You,” she gasped. Merlin blinked.

“Ah, yes. My Lady, this is Merlin, my new apprentice. Perhaps you heard of him yesterday? He was the young man who saved the Prince’s life. Merlin, this is the Lady Morgana and her maidservant, Guinevere.” Gaius introduced. 

Merlin could see through Morgana’s forced smile. He was confused, he didn’t understand why she was upset to see him. However, he forced his own smile, bowing to the two women.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, My Ladies,” he said. Morgana nodded.

“Gaius, would I be able to speak with Merlin for a few minutes? I’ll have Gwen escort him back to your chambers when I’m finished. I just want to get to know him, if he’ll be helping treat my...condition,” she said. Gaius raised an eyebrow, but nodded.

“Of course, My Lady,” he said, handing Merlin the medicine. He bowed, going to leave the room. As soon as he was gone, Gwen shut the door, hurrying over to Merlin and Morgana.

“It’s you! I’ve seen you before, he’s from my dreams, Gwen. You’re a Dragonlord!” Morgana said, her voice little louder than a whisper so the guards couldn’t hear.

Merlin’s eyes widened and he paled. Not only did two knights find out about what he was today, now two other people knew as well. 

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell Uther. I promise. I’m...I’m excited. I’ve been dreaming about you the past month. I’ve seen you and Arthur, you’ve been surrounded by dragons and other dragonlords. You have magic,” Morgana continued. 

Merlin felt he had to believe her. The woman seemed genuine, and unlike how the knights reacted, she was excited to meet him. Gwen seemed to be excited at this revelation as well. He swallowed, regaining his composure.

“My father is the Dragonlord of my clan, actually. Among my people I am called a Κληρονόμο δράκων. It means Dragon Heir. It is the title given to the first born son of a dragonlord. I do have magic, though. You’re a seer, then? If you’ve seen me in your dreams?” Merlin explained with a small smile.

Perhaps he said the wrong thing, because Morgana’s excited expression turned to fear, sorrow, and confusion. His own smile fell as well.

“I’m sorry, did I say something wrong?” He asked. 

“I really do have magic then. I...I suspected it. But I wasn’t sure. Gaius never confirmed anything. He always told me they were just dreams and gave me more of that medicine, but it does nothing! I still have them! A few weeks ago I was dreaming of fire. When I woke up my window shattered and my candle lit up, igniting the curtains. Uther thought it was the dragonlord that we captured, but I know it wasn’t. It was me,” she said.

Uther’s ward had magic? This was not something Merlin ever expected. He briefly wondered if Kilgharrah knew of this. He would have to ask the old dragon when he returned to the mountains. In the meantime…

“You do have magic. I can help you, teach you how to control it. No one else will find out about it, I swear,” Merlin insisted.

Morgana’s eyes began to water as she wrapped her arms around Merlin. She finally knew. She finally understood what was happening to her. She finally had someone who would understand and who could help her. As much as she adored Gwen and was happy that her friend had accepted that she may have magic, it wasn’t the same. 

“Thank you so much,” she said.

Merlin’s eyes widened. He didn’t quite know how to respond. Should he hug her back? Would that be improper? He had always hugged any girls who gave him hugs in the mountains back. Then again, none of them had been the King’s ward. He gave in however, hugging her back.

“It’s no problem. I couldn’t imagine being alone and not knowing how to deal with learning you have magic. Especially if you lived here,” he said. 

Morgana held him for a few more moments before letting go, taking a deep breath.

“Thank you again, Merlin. It feels so good to have someone else who knows, someone who can help. I look forward to learning from you,” she smiled. He smiled back. 

“I’ve been teaching my sister, I can teach you the same way. Not that you’re a child, it’s just easier if we start with simpler spells,” Merlin said. Morgana and Gwen laughed.

“You must tell me about your family sometime. I think I’ve seen them in my dreams as well. I would love to hear about them. For now, it’s best if you get back to Gaius, I don’t want the guards getting suspicious. Will we see you at the feast?” Morgana said. Merlin nodded.

“Yes, the messenger said that the King himself requested that I attend. I’m kind of excited. I can’t wait to see how feasts in Camelot are different than feasts in the mountains,” he grinned, giving her a bow. “I will see you there, then,” he said.

“Come, Merlin, I’ll show you the way to Gaius’ chambers, so you don’t get lost,” Gwen grinned. 

\---

The two chatted happily as they made their way back to Gaius’ chambers. Merlin liked Gwen, she was very kind and caring. She wasn’t scared of him at all, despite knowing who he was. When they reached Gaius’ chambers she waved goodbye, telling him she’d see him at the feast.

There was a tub waiting for him when he returned. Gaius had been working on a remedy for someone, but looked up when his nephew came in. 

“Ah, Merlin. There you are. I had a bath brought in for you. If we’re going to a feast, you should look your best. I suspect people will be paying attention to you,” Gaius said. 

“Okay. I have nicer clothes too, I think. My grandmother made sure I brought a variety,” Merlin said. 

“I will return in half an hour. I have one last delivery to make. There is soap and a cloth waiting for you,” Gaius said, going to leave and taking his bag.

Merlin went to undress as he heard the door lock. He put a hand in the water, it was going cold. He muttered a spell, the water warming up. He grinned, getting in and sinking into the water.

He let his mind wander. Today was an interesting day. He had met another magic user, and he was going to help her. She wouldn’t be alone and scared any longer.

He had also cremated his best friend, though.

His smile faded as his eyes filled with tears thinking about Will. He remembered the days they would run around the mountains, climb the trees of the forest, and swim in the river. He remembered the days spent lazing about in the sun during the summer, or the ones spent huddled in the caves for warmth during the winter months. Will had always been there for him.

Merlin had begged him not to go. His parents had done the same. Will had been too stubborn, insisting that it would be fine, and that he would come home safe and sound, bringing them gifts.

He never got to do that. 

Merlin wiped his eyes. Will would want him to be strong. He wouldn’t want him crying in a bath. Instead he focused on cleaning himself. Once he was satisfied he got out, drying himself off with magic as he usually did. He was about to empty the tub with magic before he realized that would be a bad idea. People would be expecting them to bring water out. 

He moved to his room, bringing his dirty clothes with him. He began digging through his clothes and pulling out the nicest ones, changing into them. He quickly combed through his hair, attempting to tame it. 

He was as ready as he would ever be.

They left when Gaius returned. Merlin was extremely nervous. What was this going to be like? How were people going to respond to him? He took a deep breath as they reached the doors. He would have to be ready for anything. 

The room was set up somewhat similar to how the dragonlords would set up their own feasts. There were two long tables on either side of the room, with another long one at the top of the room on a platform, looking down on the other tables. That was probably where the royals would sit. Back in the mountains, everyone was equal. They would all sit at the same height, but instead of the long tables they would have round ones for people to sit at and chat with their friends and family.

Merlin followed Gaius around the room, Gaius introducing him to various nobles. Merlin would smile and give them a small bow. There were a few who raised their noses at him, as if he was some unclean creature, but he didn’t mind. These nobles weren’t important to him. 

“Merlin!” 

Merlin turned, smiling when he saw two familiar faces. Gwen had been the one to call his name, but Morgana was by her side. He gasped when he saw her. She was wearing a beautiful red dress that showed off her shoulders and arms. He quickly looked away. He didn’t want to be caught staring.

“How are you?” Morgana asked. Merlin shrugged.

“It’s a bit overwhelming; seeing so many new people, but I’ll manage, thank you,” Merlin replied, smiling.

He looked up when horns sounded. Everyone stopped and bowed as the King and Prince entered the room, heads held high. 

While he wouldn’t say it aloud, he thought Uther looked absolutely ridiculous, with the puffy scarf over his clothes. Merlin could have sworn he could see something resembling another flatter scarf underneath, though he would admit that it could be a vest. 

Arthur however...he was shocked when he felt his heart skip a beat at the sight of the Prince. He was wearing a red tunic with a brown jacket that was decorated with jewels, a long red cape overtop of it all. He looked magnificent. He hadn’t seen the Prince like this since...well, ever! 

“You’re blushing, Merlin,” Morgana whispered, smirking. Merlin gasped, quickly looking down at the ground. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are here to celebrate the return of our beloved Prince. He was lost to us for a long month, feared dead. With the help of a simple village boy, he survived and was nursed back to health. Not only has he returned to us, he has slain the Dragonlord in our dungeons. The creature attacked him, and Arthur ended it’s life, despite his injuries. Tonight truly is the night for celebration. Eat, drink, and be merry!” Uther announced.

Merlin clenched his fists. He had first been mildly amused that Uther hadn’t even bothered to call him by name, only referring to him as a simple village boy, but then he mentioned Will. He called him a creature. He called him an it. It was absolutely despicable. 

He felt a hand on his arm. He jumped, looking up to see Morgana giving him a sympathetic expression. She didn’t know the details, but she could easily guess that Merlin had known the Dragonlord from the dungeons. She gave him a small pat on the arm as she went to join Uther and Arthur at the main table.

Merlin looked to it, only to see Arthur starring at him. Arthur gave him a nod and sympathetic look as well. When he spoke to people later, he would make sure he mentioned Merlin by name. Even if it was just their fake cover story, he still deserved the recognition. He didn’t like how his father had referred to Will either. Will was so much more.

Gaius came to fetch Merlin, bringing him to a table. Merlin was happy that he was able to sit closer to Arthur. He gave the Prince a small smile, Arthur smiling back. 

The food was delicious. He wasn’t used to servants being there to refill his goblet, though. That was a very new experience. At the dragon kin feasts, one would refill their own goblet, only having someone refill it if they offered to do so. 

After the feasting, Gaius brought him up to Uther and Arthur. Merlin gave the royals a bow. 

“Melvin, I am glad you were able to make it. Did you enjoy the feast?” Uther asked. Merlin looked up, nodding to the King and forcing a smile. No wonder he hadn’t been named as the Prince’s savior.

The man clearly couldn’t even remember his name. He chose not to correct the King, and Gaius clearly had the same idea, though Merlin suspected Arthur would be speaking to his father, judging by the expression on the Prince’s face.

“Yes, Your Highness. I have never experienced anything like it before. It was wonderful. Thank you for inviting me,” Merlin said. That was somewhat truthful. He hadn’t experienced anything like it before, but he most certainly enjoyed the dragon kin’s feasts more. 

“Excellent! Gaius is always invited to feasts. You will dine with him whenever there is one, as long as you remain his apprentice,” Uther announced. Merlin forced a smile bowing his head in thanks. He wanted to be as far as possible from the King. Thankfully, it seemed he would be able to escape soon. 

“Thank you, Sire. However, I’m afraid we must depart. I am old, and I do get tired easily. It has been an exciting night, and I feel both my apprentice and I are ready for bed,” Gaius said. Uther chuckled.

“Of course, my friend. I understand. Rest well, Gaius. Rest well, Melvin,” Uther said.

Well, at least he could be consistent.

Merlin and Gaius bowed to the King. Once they were _ well _ out of hearing range, Merlin spoke up.

“Melvin,” he said, starting to laugh. 

“Oh, Merlin. I’m so sorry,” Gaius said. 

“I suppose I should be happy he even managed to remember the first two letters, shouldn’t I? No wonder I was only called the village boy,” Merlin said, still laughing as they returned to Gaius’ chambers. The tub was gone, servants had probably cleared it out while they were at the feast.

“He will learn it,” Gaius insisted. Merlin shrugged.

“I don’t care if he ever does, uncle. I only pretend to respect him. He is nothing but a murderer, a liar, and a tyrant. I don’t care what he thinks of me,” Merlin said, heading towards his chambers. Gaius gasped.

“Be careful, Merlin. Such talk is treason,” he said. Merlin smiled.

“I know. Don’t worry, I’ll be careful. Goodnight, Gaius,” he said, entering his room and closing the door behind him so he could change.

Once he was in his night clothes, he opened the door again. Perhaps he could try what Gaius had suggested, sleeping with the door open to get used to being on his own. He heard the man moving around downstairs, as he sighed, going to curl up under the blanket.

He had nothing to worry about. Uther wouldn’t be King forever. One day the Once and Future King would rise, and there was nothing the tyrant could do about it.


End file.
